Method for operating a surgical instrument

ABSTRACT

A surgical instrument is configured to compensate for battery pack and drivetrain failures. One method includes generating a firing sequence, determining whether a subset of rechargeable battery cells is damaged during the firing sequence, and stepping-up an output voltage of the battery pack to complete the firing sequence in response to a determination that a subset of the rechargeable battery cells is damaged. Another method includes generating a mechanical output to motivate a drivetrain to transmit a motion to a jaw assembly of the surgical instrument, activating a safe mode in response to an acute failure of the drivetrain, and activating a bailout mode in response to a catastrophic failure of the drivetrain. Another method includes driving a drivetrain, sensing and recording vibration information from the drivetrain, generating an output signal based on the vibration information, and determining a status of the surgical instrument based on the output signal.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to surgical instruments and, in variousarrangements, to surgical stapling and cutting instruments and staplecartridges for use therewith that are designed to staple and cut tissue.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features of the various aspects are set forth with particularity inthe appended claims. The various aspects, however, both as toorganization and methods of operation, together with advantages thereof,may best be understood by reference to the following description, takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings as follows:

FIG. 1 is a perspective, disassembled view of an electromechanicalsurgical system including a surgical instrument, an adapter, and an endeffector, according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1,according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is perspective, exploded view of the surgical instrument of FIG.1, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a battery of the surgical instrument ofFIG. 1, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a top, partially-disassembled view of the surgical instrumentof FIG. 1, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a front, perspective view of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1with the adapter separated therefrom, according to at least one aspectof the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a side, cross-sectional view of the surgical instrument ofFIG. 1, as taken through 7-7 of FIG. 2, according to at least one aspectof the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a top, cross-sectional view of the surgical instrument of FIG.1, as taken through 8-8 of FIG. 2, according to at least one aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a perspective, exploded view of a end effector of FIG. 1,according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10A is a top view of a locking member, according to at least oneaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10B is a perspective view of the locking member of FIG. 10A,according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1,according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view, with parts separated, of anelectromechanical surgical system, according to at least one aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a rear, perspective view of a shaft assembly and a poweredsurgical instrument, of the electromechanical surgical system of FIG.12, illustrating a connection therebetween, according to at least aspectof the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view, with parts separated, of the shaftassembly of FIG. 13, according to at least aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view, with parts separated of a transmissionhousing of the shaft assembly of FIG. 13, according to at least aspectof the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a first gear train system that issupported in the transmission housing of FIG. 15, according to at leastaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a second gear train system that issupported in the transmission housing of FIG. 15, according to at leastaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a third drive shaft that is supportedin the transmission housing of FIG. 15, according to at least aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a surgical instrument, according to atleast one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 19A is a top view of the surgical instrument of FIG. 19, accordingto at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 20 is a circuit diagram of various components of the surgicalinstrument of FIG. 20, according to at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 21 is logic diagram including steps for responding to drivetrainfailures of the surgical instrument of FIG. 19, according to at leastone aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 22 is a logic diagram of a safe mode of the surgical instrument ofFIG. 19, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 22A is logic diagram including steps for responding to drivetrainfailures of the surgical instrument of FIG. 19, according to at leastone aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 23 is graph outlining a motor modulation in the safe mode of FIG.22, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 23A is graph outlining a motor modulation in the safe mode of FIG.22, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 24 is logic diagram including steps for responding to drivetrainfailures of the surgical instrument of FIG. 19, according to at leastone aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 25 is a logic diagram of a bailout mode of the surgical instrumentof FIG. 19, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 26A is a partial perspective view of a surgical instrument,according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 26B is a perspective view of a power pack of the surgicalinstrument of FIG. 26A, according to at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 27 is a logic diagram outlining a method of assessing the health ofthe power pack of FIG. 26B and responding to a detected drop inpower-pack health, according to at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 28 is a logic diagram of a module of the surgical instrument ofFIG. 26A, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 29 is a logic diagram of steps of the method of FIG. 27, accordingto at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 30 is a logic diagram of steps of the method of FIG. 27, accordingto least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 31 is a logic diagram of steps of the method of FIG. 27, accordingto at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 32 is a circuit diagram of a module of the surgical instrument ofFIG. 26A, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 33 is a Wheatstone bridge circuit, according to at least one aspectof the present disclosure;

FIG. 34 is an electronic control circuit coupled to a plurality ofbattery cells arranged in series, according to at least one aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 35 is a logic diagram for assessing the health status of a powerpack based on the sensor readings, according to at least one aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 36 is a perspective view of a surgical instrument, according to atleast one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 36A is a top view of the surgical instrument of FIG. 36, accordingto at least aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 36B is a partial exploded view of the surgical instrument of FIG.36, according to at least aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 37 is a perspective view of a motor cartridge, according to atleast aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 38 is a circuit diagram of various components of the surgicalinstrument of FIG. 37, according to at least aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 39 is a logic diagram outlining a method of monitoring the healthof a motor cartridge, according to at least aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 40 is a logic diagram outlining a method that employs a currentsensor to monitor the health of a motor cartridge, according to at leastaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 41 is a logic diagram outlining a module of the surgical instrumentof FIG. 37, according to at least aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 42 is a logic diagram outlining a module of the surgical instrumentof FIG. 37, according to at least aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 43 is a perspective view of a surgical instrument, according to atleast one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 44 is a circuit diagram of various components of the surgicalinstrument of FIG. 43, according to at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 45 is a circuit diagram including a microphone in communicationwith a plurality of filters coupled to a plurality of logic gates inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 46 is a graph of a microphone's output in volts versus time inseconds, the graph representing is a vibratory response of a properlyfunctioning surgical instrument of FIG. 43 recorded by the microphoneduring operation of the surgical instrument in accordance with at leastone aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 46A is a filtered signal of the microphone output of FIG. 46 inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 47 is a graph of a microphone's output in volts versus time inseconds, the graph representing is a vibratory response of amalfunctioning surgical instrument of FIG. 43 recorded by the microphoneduring operation of the surgical instrument in accordance with at leastone aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 47A is a filtered signal of the microphone output of FIG. 47 inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 48 is a circuit diagram including a sensor of the surgicalinstrument of FIG. 43 coupled to a plurality of filters in communicationwith a microcontroller via a multiplexer and an analogue to digitalconverter in accordance with at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 48A is a circuit diagram including a sensor of the surgicalinstrument of FIG. 43 coupled to a plurality of filters in communicationwith a microcontroller via a multiplexer and an analogue to digitalconverter in accordance with at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIGS. 48B-48D illustrate structural and operational characteristics of aBand-pass filter of the surgical instrument of FIG. 43 in accordancewith at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 49 is graph representing a filtered signal of a sensor output ofthe surgical instrument of FIG. 43 in accordance with at least oneaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 50 is a graph representing a processed signal of a sensor output ofthe surgical instrument of FIG. 43 in accordance with at least oneaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 51 is a graph representing the force needed to fire (FTF) thesurgical instrument of FIG. 43 in relation to a displacement position ofa drive assembly of the surgical instrument from a starting position inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 52 is a graph representing the velocity of a drive assembly of thesurgical instrument of FIG. 43, during a firing stroke, in relation tothe displacement position of the drive assembly from a starting positionin accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 53 is a graph that represents acceptable limit modification basedon zone of stroke location during a firing stroke of the surgicalinstrument of FIG. 43 in accordance with at least one aspect of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 54 is a graph that represents a processed signal of the output of asensor of the surgical instrument of FIG. 43 showing a shift in thefrequency response of the processed signal due to load and velocitychanges experienced by a drive assembly during a firing stroke inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 55 is a graph that represents a processed signal of vibrationscaptured by a sensor of the surgical instrument of FIG. 43 during a zoneof operation, the graph illustrating and acceptable limit, marginallimit, and critical limit for the zone of operation in accordance withat least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 56 is a logic diagram of the surgical instrument of FIG. 43 inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 57 is a graph that represents a processed signal of vibrationscaptured by a sensor of the surgical instrument of FIG. 43 in accordancewith at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 58 is a graph that represents a processed signal of vibrationscaptured by a sensor of the surgical instrument of FIG. 43 in accordancewith at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 59 is a graph that represents a processed signal of vibrationscaptured by a sensor of the surgical instrument of FIG. 43 in accordancewith at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 60 is a perspective view of a surgical instrument system inaccordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 61 is a perspective view of a portion of a rotary driven firingassembly and a sled of a surgical staple cartridge wherein the sled isin a starting position and the firing assembly is in a first “unlocked”position according to at least one embodiment;

FIG. 62 is another perspective view of the portion of the rotary drivenfiring assembly embodiment of FIG. 61 in a second “locked” positionwherein the sled is not in the starting position;

FIG. 63 is a side elevational view of a surgical staple cartridge beinginitially installed in a surgical end effector that is configured to cutand staple tissue in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 64 is another side elevational view of the surgical staplecartridge seated in the channel of the surgical end effector of FIG. 63wherein the sled of the surgical staple cartridge is in a startingposition and in engagement with the firing member of the surgicalinstrument;

FIG. 65 is another side elevational view of a partially used surgicalstaple cartridge seated in the channel of the surgical end effector ofFIG. 63 wherein the sled of the surgical staple cartridge is not in astarting position;

FIG. 66 is a perspective view of a portion of a rotary driven firingassembly and channel of a surgical cutting and stapling end effectorwherein the firing assembly is in a “locked” position in accordance withat least one embodiment;

FIG. 67 is another perspective view of a portion of the rotary drivenfiring assembly of FIG. 66 and a sled of a surgical staple cartridgewherein the sled is in a starting position and the firing assembly is inan “unlocked” position;

FIG. 68 is a perspective view of a threaded nut portion of in accordancewith at least one embodiment;

FIG. 69 is a perspective view of the threaded nut portion of FIG. 68being installed into a corresponding channel embodiment shown incross-section;

FIG. 70 is a cross-sectional elevational view of a channel and threadednut portion of FIG. 69 with the threaded nut portion in a lockedposition;

FIG. 71 is another cross-sectional elevational view of the channel andthreaded nut portion of FIGS. 69 and 70 with the nut portion in anunlocked position;

FIG. 72 is another cross-sectional elevational view of the channel andthreaded nut portion of FIGS. 69-71 with the threaded nut portion in alocked position and illustrating the initial installation of a sled of asurgical staple cartridge into the channel with the cartridge bodyomitted for clarity;

FIG. 73 is another cross-sectional elevational view of the channel,threaded nut portion and sled of FIG. 72 with the sled installed so asto move the nut portion to the unlocked position;

FIG. 74 is a cross-sectional side elevational view of a surgical cuttingand stapling end effector in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 75 is an exploded perspective assembly view of an anvil assembly ofthe surgical end effector of FIG. 74;

FIG. 76 is a cross-sectional view of the anvil assembly of FIG. 75;

FIG. 77 is a cross-sectional view of the surgical end effector of FIG.74 with a firing member assembly thereof in a locked position;

FIG. 78 is another cross-sectional view of the surgical end effector ofFIG. 77 taken at a proximal end thereof with the firing member assemblyin an unlocked position;

FIG. 79 is another cross-sectional view of the surgical end effector ofFIG. 77 taken at a position that is distal to the view of FIG. 78;

FIG. 80 is a perspective view of a surgical stapling instrumentcomprising a handle and a replaceable loading unit in accordance with atleast one embodiment;

FIG. 81 is a perspective view of the loading unit of FIG. 80 illustratedwith a staple cartridge jaw detached from the loading unit;

FIG. 82 is a perspective view of a surgical stapling instrumentcomprising a handle and a replaceable loading unit in accordance with atleast one embodiment;

FIG. 83 is a perspective view of the loading unit of FIG. 82;

FIG. 84 illustrates the connection portions of the handle and loadingunit of FIG. 82;

FIG. 85 is a cross-sectional view of an end effector of the loading unitof FIG. 80;

FIG. 86 is a detail view of the attachment between the staple cartridgejaw and a frame of the staple loading unit of FIG. 80;

FIG. 87 is a cross-sectional view of an end effector of a loading unitin accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 88 is a detail view of the attachment between a staple cartridgejaw and a frame of the loading unit of FIG. 87;

FIG. 89 is a perspective view of the frame of the loading unit of FIG.87;

FIG. 90 is a detail view of the proximal end of the staple cartridge jawof FIG. 87;

FIG. 91 is a detail view illustrating the connection between the frameand the staple cartridge jaw of FIG. 87;

FIG. 92 is an exploded view of a staple cartridge jaw in accordance withat least one embodiment;

FIG. 93 is a partial perspective view of a loading unit in accordancewith at least one embodiment;

FIG. 94 is a partial elevational view of a frame of a loading unit inaccordance with at least one embodiment illustrated without a staplecartridge jaw attached thereto;

FIG. 95 is a partial elevational view of a staple cartridge jaw attachedto the frame of the loading unit of FIG. 94;

FIG. 96 is a partial elevational view of the loading unit of FIG. 94illustrated in a clamped configuration;

FIG. 97 is a partial elevational view of the loading unit of FIG. 94illustrated in a partially-fired configuration;

FIG. 98 is a partial elevational view of a frame of a loading unit inaccordance with at least one embodiment illustrated without a staplecartridge jaw attached thereto;

FIG. 99 is a partial elevational view of a staple cartridge jaw attachedto the frame of the loading unit of FIG. 98;

FIG. 100 is a partial elevational view of the loading unit of FIG. 98illustrated in a clamped configuration;

FIG. 101 is a partial elevational view of the loading unit of FIG. 98illustrated in a partially-fired configuration;

FIG. 102 is a partial perspective view of the loading unit of FIG. 98illustrated with a staple cartridge jaw attached to the frame;

FIG. 103 is a partial perspective view of a staple cartridge jaw beingattached to a frame of a loading unit in accordance with at least oneembodiment;

FIG. 104 is a partial elevational view of an attempt to attach thestaple cartridge jaw of FIG. 103 to a loading unit configured to receivea different staple cartridge jaw;

FIG. 105 is a partial elevational view of the staple cartridge jaw ofFIG. 103 attached to the frame of the loading unit of FIG. 103;

FIG. 106 is a partial elevational view of a connection between a staplecartridge jaw and a frame of a loading unit in accordance with at leastone embodiment;

FIG. 107 is a partial elevational view of the loading unit of FIG. 106;

FIG. 108 is a partial elevational view of a staple cartridge jawconfigured to be used with a different loading unit other than theloading unit of FIG. 106 attached to the loading unit of FIG. 106;

FIG. 109 is a partial elevational view of a surgical instrument systemcomprising a deflectable lockout arrangement illustrated in a lockedconfiguration;

FIG. 110 is a partial elevational view of the surgical instrument systemof FIG. 109, wherein the lockout arrangement is illustrated in anunlocked configuration;

FIG. 111 is a partial elevational view of a surgical instrument systemcomprising a magnetic lockout arrangement illustrated in a lockedconfiguration;

FIG. 112 is a partial elevational view of the surgical instrument systemof FIG. 111, wherein the magnetic lockout arrangement is illustrated inan unlocked configuration;

FIG. 113 is a partial elevational view of the surgical instrument systemof FIG. 111, illustrated in a partially fired configuration;

FIG. 114 is a partial perspective view of a staple cartridge for asurgical instrument system, wherein the staple cartridge comprises adriver configured to control a lockout arrangement of the surgicalinstrument system;

FIG. 115 is a perspective view of a sled for use with the staplecartridge of FIG. 114;

FIG. 116 is a perspective view of the false driver of the staplecartridge of FIG. 114;

FIG. 117 is a partial elevational view of the surgical instrument systemutilizing the staple cartridge of FIG. 114, wherein the surgicalinstrument system comprises a lockout arrangement configured to limitthe movement of a firing member until a staple cartridge is loaded intothe surgical instrument system;

FIG. 118 is a partial elevational view of the surgical instrument systemof FIG. 117, wherein the lockout arrangement is illustrated in anunlocked configuration;

FIG. 119 is a partial elevational view of the surgical instrument systemof FIG. 117, illustrated in a partially fired configuration;

FIG. 120 is a partial perspective view of a staple cartridge for usewith a surgical instrument system, wherein the surgical instrumentsystem comprises a lockout circuit comprising a severable member;

FIG. 121 is a cross-sectional plan view of the surgical instrumentsystem of FIG. 120, wherein the surgical instrument system furthercomprises an electromagnet and a lockout member, wherein the lockoutmember is illustrated in an unlocked position, and wherein the lockoutcircuit is in a closed configuration;

FIG. 122 is a cross-sectional plan view of the surgical instrumentsystem of FIG. 120, wherein the lockout member is illustrated in alocked position, and wherein the lockout circuit is in an openconfiguration;

FIG. 123 is a perspective view of a surgical instrument system, whereinthe surgical instrument system comprises a circuit lockout arrangementcomprising electrical contacts positioned on a sled for use with astaple cartridge;

FIG. 124 is a partial elevational view of the surgical instrument systemof FIG. 123;

FIG. 125 is a partial cross-sectional view of a firing member lockoutillustrating the firing member lockout in a locked configuration;

FIG. 126 is a cross-sectional view of the firing member lockout of FIG.125 taken along line 126-126 in FIG. 125;

FIG. 127 is a partial cross-sectional view of the firing member lockoutof FIG. 125 illustrating the firing member lockout in an unlockedconfiguration;

FIG. 128 is a cross-sectional view of the firing member lockout of FIG.125 taken along line 128-128 in FIG. 127;

FIG. 129 is a cross-sectional plan view of the firing member lockout ofFIG. 125 taken along line 129-129 in FIG. 127;

FIG. 130 is a partial elevational view of a stapling assembly comprisingan unspent staple cartridge in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 131 is a partial plan view of the stapling assembly of FIG. 130;

FIG. 132 is a partial elevational view of the stapling assembly of FIG.130 illustrated in a spent condition;

FIG. 133 is a partial plan view of the stapling assembly of FIG. 130illustrated in the condition of FIG. 132;

FIG. 134 is a partial perspective view of a stapling assembly comprisingan unspent staple cartridge in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 135 is a partial perspective view of the stapling assembly of FIG.134 illustrated in a spent condition;

FIG. 136 is a partial perspective view of a stapling assemblyillustrated with components removed for the purpose of illustration;

FIG. 137 illustrates a pin of the stapling assembly of FIG. 136configured to affect a detection circuit of the stapling assembly;

FIG. 138 is a partial perspective view of certain components of thestapling assembly of FIG. 136;

FIG. 139 is a partial perspective view of a shaft housing of thestapling assembly of FIG. 136;

FIG. 140 is a partial plan view of a staple cartridge in accordance withat least one embodiment;

FIG. 140A illustrates a firing force profile that is experienced whenfiring a staple cartridge in at least one embodiment;

FIG. 141 is a partial cross-sectional view of a stapling assemblycomprising a lockout in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 142 is a partial cross-sectional view of the stapling assembly ofFIG. 141 illustrated in a locked out configuration;

FIG. 143 is a partial cross-sectional view of a stapling assemblycomprising a lockout in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 144 is a partial cross-sectional view of a stapling assemblycomprising a lockout in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 145 is a partial cross-sectional view of a stapling assemblycomprising a brake in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 146 is a partial cross-sectional view of a stapling assemblycomprising a damping system in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 147 is a schematic illustrating a stapling assembly comprising anelectromagnetic brake in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 148 is a partial cross-sectional view of a stapling assemblycomprising a damping system in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 149 is an electrical circuit configured to detect the position andprogression of a staple firing member illustrating the staple firingmember in a fully fired position;

FIG. 150 illustrates the staple firing member of FIG. 149 in a fullyretracted position;

FIG. 151 is a cross-sectional view of a stapling assembly comprising alockout in accordance with at least one embodiment illustrated in anunlocked configuration;

FIG. 152 is a cross-sectional end view of the stapling assembly of FIG.151 illustrated in its unlocked configuration;

FIG. 153 is a cross-sectional view of the stapling assembly of FIG. 151illustrated in a locked configuration; and

FIG. 154 is a cross-sectional end view of the stapling assembly of FIG.151 illustrated in its locked configuration.

DESCRIPTION

The Applicant of the present application owns the following U.S. patentapplications that were filed on even date herewith and which are eachherein incorporated by reference in their respective entireties:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, entitled SURGICAL INSTRUMENTCOMPRISING A LOCKOUT; Attorney Docket No. END7828USNP/150542;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, entitled SURGICAL INSTRUMENTCOMPRISING A PRIMARY FIRING LOCKOUT AND A SECONDARY FIRING LOCKOUT;Attorney Docket No. END7787USNP/150522;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, entitled SURGICAL INSTRUMENTSYSTEM COMPRISING A MAGNETIC LOCKOUT; Attorney Docket No.END7789USNP/150503;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, entitled SURGICAL INSTRUMENTCOMPRISING A REPLACEABLE CARTRIDGE JAW; Attorney Docket No.END7790USNP/150504; and

U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, entitled CARTRIDGE LOCKOUTARRANGEMENTS FOR ROTARY POWERED SURGICAL CUTTING AND STAPLINGINSTRUMENTS; Attorney Docket No. END7791USNP/150505.

Applicant of the present application owns the following patentapplications that were filed on Apr. 15, 2016 and which are each hereinincorporated by reference in their respective entireties:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/130,575, entitled STAPLE FORMATIONDEFECTION MECHANISMS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/130,582, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT WITH DETECTION SENSORS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/130,588, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT WITH IMPROVED STOP/START CONTROL DURING A FIRING MOTION;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/130,595, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT WITH ADJUSTABLE STOP/START CONTROL DURING A FIRING MOTION;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/130,566, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT WITH MULTIPLE PROGRAM RESPONSES DURING A FIRING MOTION;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/130,571, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT WITH MULTIPLE PROGRAM RESPONSES DURING A FIRING MOTION;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/130,581, entitled MODULAR SURGICALINSTRUMENT WITH CONFIGURABLE OPERATING MODE;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/130,590, entitled SYSTEMS ANDMETHODS FOR CONTROLLING A SURGICAL STAPLING AND CUTTING INSTRUMENT; and

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/130,596, entitled SYSTEMS ANDMETHODS FOR CONTROLLING A SURGICAL STAPLING AND CUTTING INSTRUMENT.

The Applicant of the present application owns the following U.S. patentapplications that were filed on Apr. 1, 2016 and which are each hereinincorporated by reference in their respective entireties:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,325, entitled METHOD FOROPERATING A SURGICAL STAPLING SYSTEM;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,321, entitled MODULAR SURGICALSTAPLING SYSTEM COMPRISING A DISPLAY;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,326, entitled SURGICAL STAPLINGSYSTEM COMPRISING A DISPLAY INCLUDING A RE-ORIENTABLE DISPLAY FIELD;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,263, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT HANDLE ASSEMBLY WITH RECONFIGURABLE GRIP PORTION;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,262, entitled ROTARY POWEREDSURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH MANUALLY ACTUATABLE BAILOUT SYSTEM;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,277, entitled SURGICAL CUTTINGAND STAPLING END EFFECTOR WITH ANVIL CONCENTRIC DRIVE MEMBER;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,283, entitled CLOSURE SYSTEMARRANGEMENTS FOR SURGICAL CUTTING AND STAPLING DEVICES WITH SEPARATE ANDDISTINCT FIRING SHAFTS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,296, entitled INTERCHANGEABLESURGICAL TOOL ASSEMBLY WITH A SURGICAL END EFFECTOR THAT IS SELECTIVELYROTATABLE ABOUT A SHAFT AXIS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,258, entitled SURGICAL STAPLINGSYSTEM COMPRISING A SHIFTABLE TRANSMISSION;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,278, entitled SURGICAL STAPLINGSYSTEM CONFIGURED TO PROVIDE SELECTIVE CUTTING OF TISSUE;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,284, entitled SURGICAL STAPLINGSYSTEM COMPRISING A CONTOURABLE SHAFT;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,295, entitled SURGICAL STAPLINGSYSTEM COMPRISING A TISSUE COMPRESSION LOCKOUT;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,300, entitled SURGICAL STAPLINGSYSTEM COMPRISING AN UNCLAMPING LOCKOUT;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,196 entitled SURGICAL STAPLINGSYSTEM COMPRISING A JAW CLOSURE LOCKOUT;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,203, entitled SURGICAL STAPLINGSYSTEM COMPRISING A JAW ATTACHMENT LOCKOUT;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,210, entitled SURGICAL STAPLINGSYSTEM COMPRISING A SPENT CARTRIDGE LOCKOUT;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,324, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT COMPRISING A SHIFTING MECHANISM;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,335, entitled SURGICAL STAPLINGINSTRUMENT COMPRISING MULTIPLE LOCKOUTS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,339, entitled SURGICAL STAPLINGINSTRUMENT;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,253, entitled SURGICAL STAPLINGSYSTEM CONFIGURED TO APPLY ANNULAR ROWS OF STAPLES HAVING DIFFERENTHEIGHTS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,304, entitled SURGICAL STAPLINGSYSTEM COMPRISING A GROOVED FORMING POCKET;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,331, entitled ANVIL MODIFICATIONMEMBERS FOR SURGICAL STAPLERS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,336, entitled STAPLE CARTRIDGESWITH ATRAUMATIC FEATURES;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,312, entitled CIRCULAR STAPLINGSYSTEM COMPRISING AN INCISABLE TISSUE SUPPORT;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,309, entitled CIRCULAR STAPLINGSYSTEM COMPRISING ROTARY FIRING SYSTEM; and

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/089,349, entitled CIRCULAR STAPLINGSYSTEM COMPRISING LOAD CONTROL.

The Applicant of the present application also owns the U.S. patentapplications identified below which were filed on Dec. 31, 2015 whichare each herein incorporated by reference in their respective entirety:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/984,488, entitled MECHANISMS FORCOMPENSATING FOR BATTERY PACK FAILURE IN POWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/984,525, entitled MECHANISMS FORCOMPENSATING FOR DRIVETRAIN FAILURE IN POWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS; and

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/984,552, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENTS WITH SEPARABLE MOTORS AND MOTOR CONTROL CIRCUITS.

The Applicant of the present application also owns the U.S. patentapplications identified below which were filed on Feb. 9, 2016 which areeach herein incorporated by reference in their respective entirety:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/019,220, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT WITH ARTICULATING AND AXIALLY TRANSLATABLE END EFFECTOR;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/019,228, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENTS WITH MULTIPLE LINK ARTICULATION ARRANGEMENTS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/019,196, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT ARTICULATION MECHANISM WITH SLOTTED SECONDARY CONSTRAINT;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/019,206, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENTS WITH AN END EFFECTOR THAT IS HIGHLY ARTICULATABLE RELATIVETO AN ELONGATE SHAFT ASSEMBLY;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/019,215, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENTS WITH NON-SYMMETRICAL ARTICULATION ARRANGEMENTS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/019,227, entitled ARTICULATABLESURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH SINGLE ARTICULATION LINK ARRANGEMENTS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/019,235, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENTS WITH TENSIONING ARRANGEMENTS FOR CABLE DRIVEN ARTICULATIONSYSTEMS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/019,230, entitled ARTICULATABLESURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH OFF-AXIS FIRING BEAM ARRANGEMENTS; and

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/019,245, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENTS WITH CLOSURE STROKE REDUCTION ARRANGEMENTS.

The Applicant of the present application also owns the U.S. patentapplications identified below which were filed on Feb. 12, 2016 whichare each herein incorporated by reference in their respective entirety:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/043,254, entitled MECHANISMS FORCOMPENSATING FOR DRIVETRAIN FAILURE IN POWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/043,259, entitled MECHANISMS FORCOMPENSATING FOR DRIVETRAIN FAILURE IN POWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/043,275, entitled MECHANISMS FORCOMPENSATING FOR DRIVETRAIN FAILURE IN POWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS; and

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/043,289, entitled MECHANISMS FORCOMPENSATING FOR DRIVETRAIN FAILURE IN POWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Applicant of the present application owns the following patentapplications that were filed on Jun. 18, 2015 and which are each hereinincorporated by reference in their respective entireties:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/742,925, entitled SURGICAL ENDEFFECTORS WITH POSITIVE JAW OPENING ARRANGEMENTS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/742,941, entitled SURGICAL ENDEFFECTORS WITH DUAL CAM ACTUATED JAW CLOSING FEATURES;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/742,914, entitled MOVABLE FIRINGBEAM SUPPORT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ARTICULATABLE SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/742,900, entitled ARTICULATABLESURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH COMPOSITE FIRING BEAM STRUCTURES WITH CENTERFIRING SUPPORT MEMBER FOR ARTICULATION SUPPORT;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/742,885, entitled DUAL ARTICULATIONDRIVE SYSTEM ARRANGEMENTS FOR ARTICULATABLE SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS; and

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/742,876, entitled PUSH/PULLARTICULATION DRIVE SYSTEMS FOR ARTICULATABLE SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Applicant of the present application owns the following patentapplications that were filed on Mar. 6, 2015 and which are each hereinincorporated by reference in their respective entireties:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/640,746, entitled POWERED SURGICALINSTRUMENT; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/640,795, entitledMULTIPLE LEVEL THRESHOLDS TO MODIFY OPERATION OF POWERED SURGICALINSTRUMENTS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/640,832, entitled ADAPTIVE TISSUECOMPRESSION TECHNIQUES TO ADJUST CLOSURE RAILS FOR MULTIPLE TISSUETYPES; Attorney Docket No. END7557USNP/140482;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/640,935, entitled OVERLAID MULTISENSOR RADIO FREQUENCY (RF) ELECTRODE SYSTEM TO MEASURE TISSUECOMPRESSION;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/640,831, entitled MONITORING SPEEDCONTROL AND PRECISION INCREMENTING OF MOTOR FOR POWERED SURGICALINSTRUMENTS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/640,859, entitled TIME DEPENDENTEVALUATION OF SENSOR DATA TO DETERMINE STABILITY, CREEP, ANDVISCOELASTIC ELEMENTS OF MEASURES;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/640,817, entitled INTERACTIVEFEEDBACK SYSTEM FOR POWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/640,844, entitled CONTROL TECHNIQUESAND SUB-PROCESSOR CONTAINED WITHIN MODULAR SHAFT WITH SELECT CONTROLPROCESSING FROM HANDLE;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/640,837, entitled SMART SENSORS WITHLOCAL SIGNAL PROCESSING;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/640,765, entitled SYSTEM FORDETECTING THE MIS-INSERTION OF A STAPLE CARTRIDGE INTO A SURGICALSTAPLER;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/640,799, entitled SIGNAL AND POWERCOMMUNICATION SYSTEM POSITIONED ON A ROTATABLE SHAFT; and

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/640,780, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT COMPRISING A LOCKABLE BATTERY HOUSING.

Applicant of the present application owns the following patentapplications that were filed on Feb. 27, 2015, and which are each hereinincorporated by reference in their respective entireties:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/633,576, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT SYSTEM COMPRISING AN INSPECTION STATION;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/633,546, entitled SURGICAL APPARATUSCONFIGURED TO ASSESS WHETHER A PERFORMANCE PARAMETER OF THE SURGICALAPPARATUS IS WITHIN AN ACCEPTABLE PERFORMANCE BAND;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/633,576, entitled SURGICAL CHARGINGSYSTEM THAT CHARGES AND/OR CONDITIONS ONE OR MORE BATTERIES;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/633,566, entitled CHARGING SYSTEMTHAT ENABLES EMERGENCY RESOLUTIONS FOR CHARGING A BATTERY;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/633,555, entitled SYSTEM FORMONITORING WHETHER A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT NEEDS TO BE SERVICED;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/633,542, entitled REINFORCED BATTERYFOR A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/633,548, entitled POWER ADAPTER FORA SURGICAL INSTRUMENT;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/633,526, entitled ADAPTABLE SURGICALINSTRUMENT HANDLE;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/633,541, entitled MODULAR STAPLINGASSEMBLY; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/633,562, entitledSURGICAL APPARATUS CONFIGURED TO TRACK AN END-OF-LIFE PARAMETER.

Applicant of the present application owns the following patentapplications that were filed on Dec. 18, 2014 and which are each hereinincorporated by reference in their respective entireties:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/574,478, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT SYSTEMS COMPRISING AN ARTICULATABLE END EFFECTOR AND MEANSFOR ADJUSTING THE FIRING STROKE OF A FIRING;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/574,483, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT ASSEMBLY COMPRISING LOCKABLE SYSTEMS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/575,139, entitled DRIVE ARRANGEMENTSFOR ARTICULATABLE SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/575,148, entitled LOCKINGARRANGEMENTS FOR DETACHABLE SHAFT ASSEMBLIES WITH ARTICULATABLE SURGICALEND EFFECTORS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/575,130, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT WITH AN ANVIL THAT IS SELECTIVELY MOVABLE ABOUT A DISCRETENON-MOVABLE AXIS RELATIVE TO A STAPLE CARTRIDGE;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/575,143, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENTS WITH IMPROVED CLOSURE ARRANGEMENTS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/575,117, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENTS WITH ARTICULATABLE END EFFECTORS AND MOVABLE FIRING BEAMSUPPORT ARRANGEMENTS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/575,154, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENTS WITH ARTICULATABLE END EFFECTORS AND IMPROVED FIRING BEAMSUPPORT ARRANGEMENTS;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/574,493, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE ARTICULATION SYSTEM; and

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/574,500, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A LOCKABLE ARTICULATION SYSTEM.

Applicant of the present application owns the following patentapplications that were filed on Mar. 1, 2013 and which are each hereinincorporated by reference in their respective entireties:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/782,295, entitled ARTICULATABLESURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH CONDUCTIVE PATHWAYS FOR SIGNAL COMMUNICATION,now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0246471;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/782,323, entitled ROTARY POWEREDARTICULATION JOINTS FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2014/0246472;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/782,338, entitled THUMBWHEEL SWITCHARRANGEMENTS FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, now U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2014/0249557;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/782,499, entitled ELECTROMECHANICALSURGICAL DEVICE WITH SIGNAL RELAY ARRANGEMENT, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2014/0246474;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/782,460, entitled MULTIPLE PROCESSORMOTOR CONTROL FOR MODULAR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2014/0246478;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/782,358, entitled JOYSTICK SWITCHASSEMBLIES FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, now U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2014/0246477;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/782,481, entitled SENSORSTRAIGHTENED END EFFECTOR DURING REMOVAL THROUGH TROCAR, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2014/0246479;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/782,518, entitled CONTROL METHODSFOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH REMOVABLE IMPLEMENT PORTIONS, now U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0246475;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/782,375, entitled ROTARY POWEREDSURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH MULTIPLE DEGREES OF FREEDOM, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2014/0246473; and

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/782,536, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT SOFT STOP, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2014/0246476.

Applicant of the present application also owns the following patentapplications that were filed on Mar. 14, 2013 and which are each hereinincorporated by reference in their respective entireties:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/803,097, entitled ARTICULATABLESURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A FIRING DRIVE, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2014/0263542;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/803,193, entitled CONTROLARRANGEMENTS FOR A DRIVE MEMBER OF A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT, now U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0263537;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/803,053, entitled INTERCHANGEABLESHAFT ASSEMBLIES FOR USE WITH A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2014/0263564;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/803,086, entitled ARTICULATABLESURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING AN ARTICULATION LOCK, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2014/0263541;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/803,210, entitled SENSORARRANGEMENTS FOR ABSOLUTE POSITIONING SYSTEM FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS,now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0263538;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/803,148, entitled MULTI-FUNCTIONMOTOR FOR A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT, now U.S. Patent Application PublicationNo. 2014/0263554;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/803,066, entitled DRIVE SYSTEMLOCKOUT ARRANGEMENTS FOR MODULAR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2014/0263565;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/803,117, entitled ARTICULATIONCONTROL SYSTEM FOR ARTICULATABLE SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2014/0263553;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/803,130, entitled DRIVE TRAINCONTROL ARRANGEMENTS FOR MODULAR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2014/0263543; and

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/803,159, entitled METHOD AND SYSTEMFOR OPERATING A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT, now U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2014/0277017.

Applicant of the present application also owns the following patentapplication that was filed on Mar. 7, 2014 and is herein incorporated byreference in its entirety:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/200,111, entitled CONTROL SYSTEMSFOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2014/0263539.

Applicant of the present application also owns the following patentapplications that were filed on Mar. 26, 2014 and are each hereinincorporated by reference in their respective entireties:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/226,106, entitled POWER MANAGEMENTCONTROL SYSTEMS FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, now U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2015/0272582;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/226,099, entitled STERILIZATIONVERIFICATION CIRCUIT, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2015/0272581;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/226,094, entitled VERIFICATION OFNUMBER OF BATTERY EXCHANGES/PROCEDURE COUNT, now U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2015/0272580;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/226,117, entitled POWER MANAGEMENTTHROUGH SLEEP OPTIONS OF SEGMENTED CIRCUIT AND WAKE UP CONTROL, now U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0272574;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/226,075, entitled MODULAR POWEREDSURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH DETACHABLE SHAFT ASSEMBLIES, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2015/0272579;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/226,093, entitled FEEDBACKALGORITHMS FOR MANUAL BAILOUT SYSTEMS FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, now U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0272569;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/226,116, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT UTILIZING SENSOR ADAPTATION, now U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2015/0272571;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/226,071, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT CONTROL CIRCUIT HAVING A SAFETY PROCESSOR, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2015/0272578;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/226,097, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT COMPRISING INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS, now U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2015/0272570;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/226,126, entitled INTERFACE SYSTEMSFOR USE WITH SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, now U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2015/0272572;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/226,133, entitled MODULAR SURGICALINSTRUMENT SYSTEM, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2015/0272557;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/226,081, entitled SYSTEMS ANDMETHODS FOR CONTROLLING A SEGMENTED CIRCUIT, now U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2015/0277471;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/226,076, entitled POWER MANAGEMENTTHROUGH SEGMENTED CIRCUIT AND VARIABLE VOLTAGE PROTECTION, now U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0280424;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/226,111, entitled SURGICAL STAPLINGINSTRUMENT SYSTEM, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2015/0272583; and

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/226,125, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT COMPRISING A ROTATABLE SHAFT, now U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2015/0280384.

Applicant of the present application also owns the following patentapplications that were filed on Sep. 5, 2014 and which are each hereinincorporated by reference in their respective entireties:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/479,103, entitled CIRCUITRY ANDSENSORS FOR POWERED MEDICAL DEVICE, now U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2016/0066912;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/479,119, entitled ADJUNCT WITHINTEGRATED SENSORS TO QUANTIFY TISSUE COMPRESSION, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2016/0066914;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/478,908, entitled MONITORING DEVICEDEGRADATION BASED ON COMPONENT EVALUATION, now U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2016/0066910;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/478,895, entitled MULTIPLE SENSORSWITH ONE SENSOR AFFECTING A SECOND SENSOR'S OUTPUT OR INTERPRETATION,now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0066909;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/479,110, entitled USE OF POLARITY OFHALL MAGNET DETECTION TO DETECT MISLOADED CARTRIDGE, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2016/0066915;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/479,098, entitled SMART CARTRIDGEWAKE UP OPERATION AND DATA RETENTION, now U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2016/0066911;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/479,115, entitled MULTIPLE MOTORCONTROL FOR POWERED MEDICAL DEVICE, now U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2016/0066916; and

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/479,108, entitled LOCAL DISPLAY OFTISSUE PARAMETER STABILIZATION, now U.S. Patent Application PublicationNo. 2016/0066913.

Applicant of the present application also owns the following patentapplications that were filed on Apr. 9, 2014 and which are each hereinincorporated by reference in their respective entireties:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/248,590, entitled MOTOR DRIVENSURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH LOCKABLE DUAL DRIVE SHAFTS, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2014/0305987;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/248,581, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT COMPRISING A CLOSING DRIVE AND A FIRING DRIVE OPERATED FROMTHE SAME ROTATABLE OUTPUT, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2014/0305989;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/248,595, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT SHAFT INCLUDING SWITCHES FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF THESURGICAL INSTRUMENT, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2014/0305988;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/248,588, entitled POWERED LINEARSURGICAL STAPLER, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2014/0309666;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/248,591, entitled TRANSMISSIONARRANGEMENT FOR A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT, now U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2014/0305991;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/248,584, entitled MODULAR MOTORDRIVEN SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH ALIGNMENT FEATURES FOR ALIGNING ROTARYDRIVE SHAFTS WITH SURGICAL END EFFECTOR SHAFTS, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2014/0305994;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/248,587, entitled POWERED SURGICALSTAPLER, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0309665;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/248,586, entitled DRIVE SYSTEMDECOUPLING ARRANGEMENT FOR A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2014/0305990; and

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/248,607, entitled MODULAR MOTORDRIVEN SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH STATUS INDICATION ARRANGEMENTS, nowU.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0305992.

Applicant of the present application also owns the following patentapplications that were filed on Apr. 16, 2013 and which are each hereinincorporated by reference in their respective entireties:

U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/812,365, entitledSURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS PERFORMED BY A SINGLE MOTOR;

U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/812,376, entitled LINEARCUTTER WITH POWER; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.61/812,382, entitled LINEAR CUTTER WITH MOTOR AND PISTOL GRIP;

U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/812,385, entitledSURGICAL INSTRUMENT HANDLE WITH MULTIPLE ACTUATION MOTORS AND MOTORCONTROL; and

U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/812,372, entitledSURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS PERFORMED BY A SINGLE MOTOR.

Numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the overall structure, function, manufacture, and useof the embodiments as described in the specification and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings. Well-known operations, components, andelements have not been described in detail so as not to obscure theembodiments described in the specification. The reader will understandthat the embodiments described and illustrated herein are non-limitingexamples, and thus it can be appreciated that the specific structuraland functional details disclosed herein may be representative andillustrative. Variations and changes thereto may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the claims.

The terms “comprise” (and any form of comprise, such as “comprises” and“comprising”), “have” (and any form of have, such as “has” and“having”), “include” (and any form of include, such as “includes” and“including”) and “contain” (and any form of contain, such as “contains”and “containing”) are open-ended linking verbs. As a result, a surgicalsystem, device, or apparatus that “comprises,” “has,” “includes” or“contains” one or more elements possesses those one or more elements,but is not limited to possessing only those one or more elements.Likewise, an element of a system, device, or apparatus that “comprises,”“has,” “includes” or “contains” one or more features possesses those oneor more features, but is not limited to possessing only those one ormore features.

The terms “proximal” and “distal” are used herein with reference to aclinician manipulating the handle portion of the surgical instrument.The term “proximal” refers to the portion closest to the clinician andthe term “distal” refers to the portion located away from the clinician.It will be further appreciated that, for convenience and clarity,spatial terms such as “vertical”, “horizontal”, “up”, and “down” may beused herein with respect to the drawings. However, surgical instrumentsare used in many orientations and positions, and these terms are notintended to be limiting and/or absolute.

Various exemplary devices and methods are provided for performinglaparoscopic and minimally invasive surgical procedures. However, thereader will readily appreciate that the various methods and devicesdisclosed herein can be used in numerous surgical procedures andapplications including, for example, in connection with open surgicalprocedures. As the present Detailed Description proceeds, the readerwill further appreciate that the various instruments disclosed hereincan be inserted into a body in any way, such as through a naturalorifice, through an incision or puncture hole formed in tissue, etc. Theworking portions or end effector portions of the instruments can beinserted directly into a patient's body or can be inserted through anaccess device that has a working channel through which the end effectorand elongate shaft of a surgical instrument can be advanced.

A surgical stapling system can comprise a shaft and an end effectorextending from the shaft. The end effector comprises a first jaw and asecond jaw. The first jaw comprises a staple cartridge. The staplecartridge is insertable into and removable from the first jaw; however,other embodiments are envisioned in which a staple cartridge is notremovable from, or at least readily replaceable from, the first jaw. Thesecond jaw comprises an anvil configured to deform staples ejected fromthe staple cartridge. The second jaw is pivotable relative to the firstjaw about a closure axis; however, other embodiments are envisioned inwhich first jaw is pivotable relative to the second jaw. The surgicalstapling system further comprises an articulation joint configured topermit the end effector to be rotated, or articulated, relative to theshaft. The end effector is rotatable about an articulation axisextending through the articulation joint. Other embodiments areenvisioned which do not include an articulation joint.

The staple cartridge comprises a cartridge body. The cartridge bodyincludes a proximal end, a distal end, and a deck extending between theproximal end and the distal end. In use, the staple cartridge ispositioned on a first side of the tissue to be stapled and the anvil ispositioned on a second side of the tissue. The anvil is moved toward thestaple cartridge to compress and clamp the tissue against the deck.Thereafter, staples removably stored in the cartridge body can bedeployed into the tissue. The cartridge body includes staple cavitiesdefined therein wherein staples are removably stored in the staplecavities. The staple cavities are arranged in six longitudinal rows.Three rows of staple cavities are positioned on a first side of alongitudinal slot and three rows of staple cavities are positioned on asecond side of the longitudinal slot. Other arrangements of staplecavities and staples may be possible.

The staples are supported by staple drivers in the cartridge body. Thedrivers are movable between a first, or unfired position, and a second,or fired, position to eject the staples from the staple cavities. Thedrivers are retained in the cartridge body by a retainer which extendsaround the bottom of the cartridge body and includes resilient membersconfigured to grip the cartridge body and hold the retainer to thecartridge body. The drivers are movable between their unfired positionsand their fired positions by a sled. The sled is movable between aproximal position adjacent the proximal end and a distal positionadjacent the distal end. The sled comprises a plurality of rampedsurfaces configured to slide under the drivers and lift the drivers, andthe staples supported thereon, toward the anvil.

Further to the above, the sled is moved distally by a firing member. Thefiring member is configured to contact the sled and push the sled towardthe distal end. The longitudinal slot defined in the cartridge body isconfigured to receive the firing member. The anvil also includes a slotconfigured to receive the firing member. The firing member furthercomprises a first cam which engages the first jaw and a second cam whichengages the second jaw. As the firing member is advanced distally, thefirst cam and the second cam can control the distance, or tissue gap,between the deck of the staple cartridge and the anvil. The firingmember also comprises a knife configured to incise the tissue capturedintermediate the staple cartridge and the anvil. It is desirable for theknife to be positioned at least partially proximal to the rampedsurfaces such that the staples are ejected ahead of the knife.

Before explaining various forms of mechanisms for compensating fordrivetrain failure in powered surgical instruments in detail, it shouldbe noted that the illustrative forms are not limited in application oruse to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustratedin the accompanying drawings and description. The illustrative forms maybe implemented or incorporated in other forms, variations andmodifications, and may be practiced or carried out in various ways.Further, unless otherwise indicated, the terms and expressions employedherein have been chosen for the purpose of describing the illustrativeforms for the convenience of the reader and are not for the purpose oflimitation thereof.

Further, it is understood that any one or more of thefollowing-described forms, expressions of forms, examples, can becombined with any one or more of the other following-described forms,expressions of forms, and examples.

Various forms are directed to mechanisms for compensating for drivetrainfailure in powered surgical instruments. In one form, the mechanisms forcompensating for drivetrain failure in powered surgical instruments maybe configured for use in open surgical procedures, but has applicationsin other types of surgery, such as laparoscopic, endoscopic, androbotic-assisted procedures.

FIGS. 1-18 depict various aspects of a surgical system that is generallydesignated as 10, and is in the form of a powered hand heldelectromechanical instrument configured for selective attachment theretoof a plurality of different end effectors that are each configured foractuation and manipulation by the powered hand held electromechanicalsurgical instrument. The aspects of FIGS. 1-18 are disclosed in U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0110453, filed Oct. 23, 2012,and titled SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH RAPID POST EVENT DEFECTION, U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0282052, filed Jun. 19, 2013,and titled APPARATUS FOR ENDOSCOPIC PROCEDURES, and U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2013/0274722, filed May 10, 2013, and titledAPPARATUS FOR ENDOSCOPIC PROCEDURES.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a surgical instrument 100 is configured forselective connection with an adapter 200, and, in turn, adapter 200 isconfigured for selective connection with an end effector or single useloading unit or reload 300. As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the surgicalinstrument 100 includes a handle housing 102 having a lower housingportion 104, an intermediate housing portion 106 extending from and/orsupported on lower housing portion 104, and an upper housing portion 108extending from and/or supported on intermediate housing portion 106.Intermediate housing portion 106 and upper housing portion 108 areseparated into a distal half-section 110 a that is integrally formedwith and extending from the lower portion 104, and a proximalhalf-section 110 b connectable to distal half-section 110 a by aplurality of fasteners. When joined, distal and proximal half-sections110 a, 110 b define a handle housing 102 having a cavity 102 a thereinin which a circuit board 150 and a drive mechanism 160 is situated.

Distal and proximal half-sections 110 a, 110 b are divided along a planethat traverses a longitudinal axis “X” of upper housing portion 108, asseen in FIGS. 2 and 3. Handle housing 102 includes a gasket 112extending completely around a rim of distal half-section and/or proximalhalf-section 110 a, 110 b and being interposed between distalhalf-section 110 a and proximal half-section 110 b. Gasket 112 seals theperimeter of distal half-section 110 a and proximal half-section 110 b.Gasket 112 functions to establish an air-tight seal between distalhalf-section 110 a and proximal half-section 110 b such that circuitboard 150 and drive mechanism 160 are protected from sterilizationand/or cleaning procedures.

In this manner, the cavity 102 a of handle housing 102 is sealed alongthe perimeter of distal half-section 110 a and proximal half-section 110b yet is configured to enable easier, more efficient assembly of circuitboard 150 and a drive mechanism 160 in handle housing 102.

Intermediate housing portion 106 of handle housing 102 provides ahousing in which circuit board 150 is situated. Circuit board 150 isconfigured to control the various operations of surgical instrument 100.

Lower housing portion 104 of surgical instrument 100 defines an aperture(not shown) formed in an upper surface thereof and which is locatedbeneath or within intermediate housing portion 106. The aperture oflower housing portion 104 provides a passage through which wires 152pass to electrically interconnect electrical components (a battery 156,as illustrated in FIG. 4, a circuit board 154, as illustrated in FIG. 3,etc.) situated in lower housing portion 104 with electrical components(circuit board 150, drive mechanism 160, etc.) situated in intermediatehousing portion 106 and/or upper housing portion 108.

Handle housing 102 includes a gasket 103 disposed within the aperture oflower housing portion 104 (not shown) thereby plugging or sealing theaperture of lower housing portion 104 while allowing wires 152 to passtherethrough. Gasket 103 functions to establish an air-tight sealbetween lower housing portion 106 and intermediate housing portion 108such that circuit board 150 and drive mechanism 160 are protected fromsterilization and/or cleaning procedures.

As shown, lower housing portion 104 of handle housing 102 provides ahousing in which a rechargeable battery 156, is removably situated.Battery 156 is configured to supply power to any of the electricalcomponents of surgical instrument 100. Lower housing portion 104 definesa cavity (not shown) into which battery 156 is inserted. Lower housingportion 104 includes a door 105 pivotally connected thereto for closingcavity of lower housing portion 104 and retaining battery 156 therein.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 5, distal half-section 110 a of upperhousing portion 108 defines a nose or connecting portion 108 a. A nosecone 114 is supported on nose portion 108 a of upper housing portion108. Nose cone 114 is fabricated from a transparent material. A feedbackindicator such as, for example, an illumination member 116 is disposedwithin nose cone 114 such that illumination member 116 is visibletherethrough. Illumination member 116 is may be a light emitting diodeprinted circuit board (LED PCB). Illumination member 116 is configuredto illuminate multiple colors with a specific color pattern beingassociated with a unique discrete event.

Upper housing portion 108 of handle housing 102 provides a housing inwhich drive mechanism 160 is situated. As illustrated in FIG. 5, drivemechanism 160 is configured to drive shafts and/or gear components inorder to perform the various operations of surgical instrument 100. Inparticular, drive mechanism 160 is configured to drive shafts and/orgear components in order to selectively move tool assembly 304 of endeffector 300 (see FIGS. 1 and 9) relative to proximal body portion 302of end effector 300, to rotate end effector 300 about a longitudinalaxis “X” (see FIG. 2) relative to handle housing 102, to move anvilassembly 306 relative to cartridge assembly 308 of end effector 300,and/or to fire a stapling and cutting cartridge within cartridgeassembly 308 of end effector 300.

The drive mechanism 160 includes a selector gearbox assembly 162 that islocated immediately proximal relative to adapter 200. Proximal to theselector gearbox assembly 162 is a function selection module 163 havinga first motor 164 that functions to selectively move gear elementswithin the selector gearbox assembly 162 into engagement with an inputdrive component 165 having a second motor 166.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, and as mentioned above, distal half-section110 a of upper housing portion 108 defines a connecting portion 108 aconfigured to accept a corresponding drive coupling assembly 210 ofadapter 200.

As illustrated in FIGS. 6-8, connecting portion 108 a of surgicalinstrument 100 has a cylindrical recess 108 b that receives a drivecoupling assembly 210 of adapter 200 when adapter 200 is mated tosurgical instrument 100. Connecting portion 108 a houses three rotatabledrive connectors 118, 120, 122.

When adapter 200 is mated to surgical instrument 100, each of rotatabledrive connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgical instrument 100 couples with acorresponding rotatable connector sleeve 218, 220, 222 of adapter 200 asshown in FIG. 6. In this regard, the interface between correspondingfirst drive connector 118 and first connector sleeve 218, the interfacebetween corresponding second drive connector 120 and second connectorsleeve 220, and the interface between corresponding third driveconnector 122 and third connector sleeve 222 are keyed such thatrotation of each of drive connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgicalinstrument 100 causes a corresponding rotation of the correspondingconnector sleeve 218, 220, 222 of adapter 200.

The mating of drive connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgical instrument 100with connector sleeves 218, 220, 222 of adapter 200 allows rotationalforces to be independently transmitted via each of the three respectiveconnector interfaces. The drive connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgicalinstrument 100 are configured to be independently rotated by drivemechanism 160. In this regard, the function selection module 163 ofdrive mechanism 160 selects which drive connector or connectors 118,120, 122 of surgical instrument 100 is to be driven by the input drivecomponent 165 of drive mechanism 160.

Since each of drive connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgical instrument 100has a keyed and/or substantially non-rotatable interface with respectiveconnector sleeves 218, 220, 222 of adapter 200, when adapter 200 iscoupled to surgical instrument 100, rotational force(s) are selectivelytransferred from drive mechanism 160 of surgical instrument 100 toadapter 200.

The selective rotation of drive connector(s) 118, 120 and/or 122 ofsurgical instrument 100 allows surgical instrument 100 to selectivelyactuate different functions of end effector 300. Selective andindependent rotation of first drive connector 118 of surgical instrument100 corresponds to the selective and independent opening and closing oftool assembly 304 of end effector 300, and driving of a stapling/cuttingcomponent of tool assembly 304 of end effector 300. Also, the selectiveand independent rotation of second drive connector 120 of surgicalinstrument 100 corresponds to the selective and independent articulationof tool assembly 304 of end effector 300 transverse to longitudinal axis“X” (see FIG. 2). Additionally, the selective and independent rotationof third drive connector 122 of surgical instrument 100 corresponds tothe selective and independent rotation of end effector 300 aboutlongitudinal axis “X” (see FIG. 2) relative to handle housing 102 ofsurgical instrument 100.

As mentioned above and as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 8, drive mechanism160 includes a selector gearbox assembly 162; and a function selectionmodule 163, located proximal to the selector gearbox assembly 162, thatfunctions to selectively move gear elements within the selector gearboxassembly 162 into engagement with second motor 166. Thus, drivemechanism 160 selectively drives one of drive connectors 118, 120, 122of surgical instrument 100 at a given time.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, handle housing 102 supports a controlassembly 107 on a distal surface or side of intermediate housing portion108. The control assembly 107 is a fully-functional mechanicalsubassembly that can be assembled and tested separately from the rest ofthe instrument 100 prior to coupling thereto.

Control assembly 107, in cooperation with intermediate housing portion108, supports a pair of finger-actuated control buttons 124, 126 and apair rocker devices 128, 130 within a housing 107 a. The control buttons124, 126 are coupled to extension shafts 125, 127 respectively. Inparticular, control assembly 107 defines an upper aperture 124 a forslidably receiving the extension shaft 125, and a lower aperture 126 afor slidably receiving the extension shaft 127.

The control assembly 107 and its components (e.g., control buttons 124,126 and rocker devices 128, 130) my be formed from low friction,self-lubricating, lubricious plastics or materials or coatings coveringthe moving components to reduce actuation forces, key component wear,elimination of galling, smooth consistent actuation, improved componentand assembly reliability and reduced clearances for a tighter fit andfeel consistency. This includes the use of plastic materials in thebushings, rocker journals, plunger bushings, spring pockets, retainingrings and slider components. Molding the components in plastic alsoprovides net-shape or mesh-shaped components with all of theseperformance attributes. Plastic components eliminate corrosion andbi-metal anodic reactions under electrolytic conditions such asautoclaving, steam sterilizations and cleaning Press fits withlubricious plastics and materials also eliminate clearances with minimalstrain or functional penalties on the components when compared tosimilar metal components.

Suitable materials for forming the components of the control assembly107 include, but are not limited to, polyamines, polyphenylene sulfides,polyphthalamides, polyphenylsulfones, polyether ketones,polytetrafluoroethylenes, and combinations thereof. These components maybe used in the presence or absence of lubricants and may also includeadditives for reduced wear and frictional forces.

Reference may be made to a U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/331,047,now U.S. Pat. No. 8,968,276, the entire contents of which areincorporated by reference herein, for a detailed discussion of theconstruction and operation of the surgical instrument 100.

The surgical instrument 100 includes a firing assembly configured todeploy or eject a plurality of staples into tissue captured by the endeffector 300. The firing assembly comprises a drive assembly 360, asillustrated in FIG. 9. The drive assembly 360 includes a flexible drivebeam 364 having a distal end which is secured to a dynamic clampingmember 365, and a proximal engagement section 368. Engagement section368 includes a stepped portion defining a shoulder 370. A proximal endof engagement section 368 includes diametrically opposed inwardlyextending fingers 372. Fingers 372 engage a hollow drive member 374 tofixedly secure drive member 374 to the proximal end of beam 364. Drivemember 374 defines a proximal porthole 376 a which receives a connectionmember of drive tube 246 (FIG. 1) of adapter 200 when end effector 300is attached to distal coupling 230 of adapter 200.

When drive assembly 360 is advanced distally within tool assembly 304,an upper beam 365 a of clamping member 365 moves within a channeldefined between anvil plate 312 and anvil cover 310 and a lower beam 365b moves over the exterior surface of carrier 316 to close tool assembly304 and fire staples therefrom.

Proximal body portion 302 of end effector 300 includes a sheath or outertube 301 enclosing an upper housing portion 301 a and a lower housingportion 301 b. The housing portions 301 a and 301 b enclose anarticulation link 366 having a hooked proximal end 366 a which extendsfrom a proximal end of end effector 300. Hooked proximal end 366 a ofarticulation link 366 engages a coupling hook (not shown) of adapter 200when end effector 300 is secured to distal housing 232 of adapter 200.When drive bar 258 of adapter 200 is advanced or retracted as describedabove, articulation link 366 of end effector 300 is advanced orretracted within end effector 300 to pivot tool assembly 304 in relationto a distal end of proximal body portion 302.

As illustrated in FIG. 9 above, cartridge assembly 308 of tool assembly304 includes a staple cartridge 305 supportable in carrier 316. Thecartridge can be permanently installed in the end effector 300 or can bearranged so as to be removable and replaceable. Staple cartridge 305defines a central longitudinal slot 305 a, and three linear rows ofstaple retention slots 305 b positioned on each side of longitudinalslot 305 a. Each of staple retention slots 305 b receives a singlestaple 307 and a portion of a staple pusher 309. During operation ofinstrument 100, drive assembly 360 abuts an actuation sled and pushesactuation sled through cartridge 305. As the actuation sled movesthrough cartridge 305, cam wedges of the actuation sled sequentiallyengage staple pushers 309 to move staple pushers 309 vertically withinstaple retention slots 305 b and sequentially eject staples 307therefrom for formation against anvil plate 312.

The hollow drive member 374 includes a lockout mechanism 373 thatprevents a firing of previously fired end effectors 300. The lockoutmechanism 373 includes a locking member 371 pivotally coupled within adistal porthole 376 b via a pin 377, such that locking member 371 ispivotal about pin 377 relative to drive member 374.

With reference to FIGS. 10A and 10B, locking member 371 defines achannel 379 formed between elongate glides 381 and 383. Web 385 joins aportion of the upper surfaces of glides 381 and 383. Web 385 isconfigured and dimensioned to fit within the porthole 376 b of the drivemember 374. Horizontal ledges 389 and 391 extend from glides 381 and 383respectively. As best shown in FIG. 9, a spring 393 is disposed withinthe drive member 374 and engages horizontal ledge 389 and/or horizontalledge 391 to bias locking member 371 downward.

In operation, the locking member 371 is initially disposed in itspre-fired position at the proximal end of the housing portions 301 a and301 b with horizontal ledge 389 and 391 resting on top of projections303 a, 303 b formed in the sidewalls of housing portion 301 b. In thisposition, locking member 371 is held up and out of alignment with aprojection 303 c formed in the bottom surface of housing portion 301 b,distal of the projection 303 a, 303 b, and web 385 is in longitudinaljuxtaposition with shoulder 370 defined in drive beam 364. Thisconfiguration permits the anvil 306 to be opened and repositioned ontothe tissue to be stapled until the surgeon is satisfied with theposition without activating locking member 371 to disable the disposableend effector 300.

Upon distal movement of the drive beam 364 by the drive tube 246,locking member 371 rides off of projections 303 a, 303 b and is biasedinto engagement with housing portion 301 b by the spring 393, distal ofprojection 303 c. Locking member 371 remains in this configurationthroughout firing of the apparatus.

Upon retraction of the drive beam 364, after at least a partial firing,locking member 371 passes under projections 303 a, 303 b and rides overprojection 303 c of housing portion 301 b until the distal-most portionof locking member 371 is proximal to projection 303 c. The spring 393biases locking member 371 into juxtaposed alignment with projection 303c, effectively disabling the disposable end effector. If an attempt ismade to reactuate the apparatus, loaded with the existing end effector300, the locking member 371 will abut projection 303 c of housingportion 301 b and will inhibit distal movement of the drive beam 364.

Another aspect of the instrument 100 is shown in FIG. 11. The instrument100 includes the motor 164. The motor 164 may be any electrical motorconfigured to actuate one or more drives (e.g., rotatable driveconnectors 118, 120, 122 of FIG. 6). The motor 164 is coupled to thebattery 156, which may be a DC battery (e.g., rechargeable lead-based,nickel-based, lithium-ion based, battery etc.), an AC/DC transformer, orany other power source suitable for providing electrical energy to themotor 164.

The battery 156 and the motor 164 are coupled to a motor driver circuit404 disposed on the circuit board 154 which controls the operation ofthe motor 164 including the flow of electrical energy from the battery156 to the motor 164. The driver circuit 404 includes a plurality ofsensors 408 a, 408 b, . . . 408 n configured to measure operationalstates of the motor 164 and the battery 156. The sensors 408 a-n mayinclude voltage sensors, current sensors, temperature sensors, pressuresensors, telemetry sensors, optical sensors, and combinations thereof.The sensors 408 a-408 n may measure voltage, current, and otherelectrical properties of the electrical energy supplied by the battery156. The sensors 408 a-408 n may also measure rotational speed asrevolutions per minute (RPM), torque, temperature, current draw, andother operational properties of the motor 164. RPM may be determined bymeasuring the rotation of the motor 164. Position of various driveshafts (e.g., rotatable drive connectors 118, 120, 122 of FIG. 6) may bedetermined by using various linear sensors disposed in or in proximityto the shafts or extrapolated from the RPM measurements. In aspects,torque may be calculated based on the regulated current draw of themotor 164 at a constant RPM. In further aspects, the driver circuit 404and/or the controller 406 may measure time and process theabove-described values as a function thereof, including integrationand/or differentiation, e.g., to determine rate of change of themeasured values and the like.

The driver circuit 404 is also coupled to a controller 406, which may beany suitable logic control circuit adapted to perform the calculationsand/or operate according to a set of instructions. The controller 406may include a central processing unit operably connected to a memorywhich may include transitory type memory (e.g., RAM) and/ornon-transitory type memory (e.g., flash media, disk media, etc.). Thecontroller 406 includes a plurality of inputs and outputs forinterfacing with the driver circuit 404. In particular, the controller406 receives measured sensor signals from the driver circuit 404regarding operational status of the motor 164 and the battery 156 and,in turn, outputs control signals to the driver circuit 404 to controlthe operation of the motor 164 based on the sensor readings and specificalgorithm instructions. The controller 406 is also configured to accepta plurality of user inputs from a user interface (e.g., switches,buttons, touch screen, etc. of the control assembly 107 coupled to thecontroller 406). A removable memory card or chip may be provided, ordata can be downloaded wirelessly.

Referring to FIG. 12-18, a surgical system 10′ is depicted. The surgicalsystem 10′ is similar in many respects to the surgical system 10. Forexample, the surgical system 10′ includes the surgical instrument 100.Upper housing portion 108 of instrument housing 102 defines a nose orconnecting portion 108 a configured to accept a corresponding shaftcoupling assembly 514 of a transmission housing 512 of a shaft assembly500 that is similar in many respects to the shaft assembly 200.

The shaft assembly 500 has a force transmitting assembly forinterconnecting the at least one drive member of the surgical instrumentto at least one rotation receiving member of the end effector. The forcetransmitting assembly has a first end that is connectable to the atleast one rotatable drive member and a second end that is connectable tothe at least one rotation receiving member of the end effector. Whenshaft assembly 500 is mated to surgical instrument 100, each ofrotatable drive members or connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgicalinstrument 100 couples with a corresponding rotatable connector sleeve518, 520, 522 of shaft assembly 500 (see FIGS. 13 and 15). In thisregard, the interface between corresponding first drive member orconnector 118 and first connector sleeve 518, the interface betweencorresponding second drive member or connector 120 and second connectorsleeve 520, and the interface between corresponding third drive memberor connector 122 and third connector sleeve 522 are keyed such thatrotation of each of drive members or connectors 118, 120, 122 ofsurgical instrument 100 causes a corresponding rotation of thecorresponding connector sleeve 518, 520, 522 of shaft assembly 500.

The selective rotation of drive member(s) or connector(s) 118, 120and/or 122 of surgical instrument 100 allows surgical instrument 100 toselectively actuate different functions of an end effector 400.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 14, the shaft assembly 500 includes anelongate, substantially rigid, outer tubular body 510 having a proximalend 510 a and a distal end 510 b and a transmission housing 212connected to proximal end 210 a of tubular body 510 and being configuredfor selective connection to surgical instrument 100. In addition, theshaft assembly 500 further includes an articulating neck assembly 530connected to distal end 510 b of elongate body portion 510.

Transmission housing 512 is configured to house a pair of gear trainsystems therein for varying a speed/force of rotation (e.g., increase ordecrease) of first, second and/or third rotatable drive members orconnectors 118, 120, and/or 122 of surgical instrument 100 beforetransmission of such rotational speed/force to the end effector 501. Asseen in FIG. 15, transmission housing 512 and shaft coupling assembly514 rotatably support a first proximal or input drive shaft 524 a, asecond proximal or input drive shaft 526 a, and a third drive shaft 528.

Shaft drive coupling assembly 514 includes a first, a second and a thirdbiasing member 518 a, 520 a and 522 a disposed distally of respectivefirst, second and third connector sleeves 518, 520, 522. Each of biasingmembers 518 a, 520 a and 522 a is disposed about respective firstproximal drive shaft 524 a, second proximal drive shaft 526 a, and thirddrive shaft 228. Biasing members 518 a, 520 a and 522 a act onrespective connector sleeves 518, 520 and 522 to help maintain connectorsleeves 218, 220 and 222 engaged with the distal end of respective driverotatable drive members or connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgicalinstrument 100 when shaft assembly 500 is connected to surgicalinstrument 100.

Shaft assembly 500 includes a first and a second gear train system 540,550, respectively, disposed within transmission housing 512 and tubularbody 510, and adjacent coupling assembly 514. As mentioned above, eachgear train system 540, 550 is configured and adapted to vary aspeed/force of rotation (e.g., increase or decrease) of first and secondrotatable drive connectors 118 and 120 of surgical instrument 100 beforetransmission of such rotational speed/force to end effector 501.

As illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16, first gear train system 540 includesfirst input drive shaft 524 a, and a first input drive shaft spur gear542 a keyed to first input drive shaft 524 a. First gear train system540 also includes a first transmission shaft 544 rotatably supported intransmission housing 512, a first input transmission spur gear 544 akeyed to first transmission shaft 544 and engaged with first input driveshaft spur gear 542 a, and a first output transmission spur gear 544 bkeyed to first transmission shaft 544. First gear train system 540further includes a first output drive shaft 546 a rotatably supported intransmission housing 512 and tubular body 510, and a first output driveshaft spur gear 546 b keyed to first output drive shaft 546 a andengaged with first output transmission spur gear 544 b.

In at least one instance, the first input drive shaft spur gear 542 aincludes 10 teeth; first input transmission spur gear 544 a includes 18teeth; first output transmission spur gear 544 b includes 13 teeth; andfirst output drive shaft spur gear 546 b includes 15 teeth. As soconfigured, an input rotation of first input drive shaft 524 a isconverted to an output rotation of first output drive shaft 546 a by aratio of 1:2.08.

In operation, as first input drive shaft spur gear 542 a is rotated, dueto a rotation of first connector sleeve 558 and first input drive shaft524 a, as a result of the rotation of the first respective driveconnector 118 of surgical instrument 100, first input drive shaft spurgear 542 a engages first input transmission spur gear 544 a causingfirst input transmission spur gear 544 a to rotate. As first inputtransmission spur gear 544 a rotates, first transmission shaft 544 isrotated and thus causes first output drive shaft spur gear 546 b, thatis keyed to first transmission shaft 544, to rotate. As first outputdrive shaft spur gear 546 b rotates, since first output drive shaft spurgear 546 b is engaged therewith, first output drive shaft spur gear 546b is also rotated. As first output drive shaft spur gear 546 b rotates,since first output drive shaft spur gear 546 b is keyed to first outputdrive shaft 546 a, first output drive shaft 546 a is rotated.

The shaft assembly 500, including the first gear system 540, functionsto transmit operative forces from surgical instrument 100 to endeffector 501 in order to operate, actuate and/or fire end effector 501.

As illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 17, second gear train system 550 includessecond input drive shaft 526 a, and a second input drive shaft spur gear552 a keyed to second input drive shaft 526 a. Second gear train system550 also includes a first transmission shaft 554 rotatably supported intransmission housing 512, a first input transmission spur gear 554 akeyed to first transmission shaft 554 and engaged with second inputdrive shaft spur gear 552 a, and a first output transmission spur gear554 b keyed to first transmission shaft 554.

Second gear train system 550 further includes a second transmissionshaft 556 rotatably supported in transmission housing 512, a secondinput transmission spur gear 556 a keyed to second transmission shaft556 and engaged with first output transmission spur gear 554 b that iskeyed to first transmission shaft 554, and a second output transmissionspur gear 556 b keyed to second transmission shaft 556.

Second gear train system 550 additionally includes a second output driveshaft 558 a rotatably supported in transmission housing 512 and tubularbody 510, and a second output drive shaft spur gear 558 b keyed tosecond output drive shaft 558 a and engaged with second outputtransmission spur gear 556 b.

In at least one instance, the second input drive shaft spur gear 552 aincludes 10 teeth; first input transmission spur gear 554 a includes 20teeth; first output transmission spur gear 554 b includes 10 teeth;second input transmission spur gear 556 a includes 20 teeth; secondoutput transmission spur gear 556 b includes 10 teeth; and second outputdrive shaft spur gear 558 b includes 15 teeth. As so configured, aninput rotation of second input drive shaft 526 a is converted to anoutput rotation of second output drive shaft 558 a by a ratio of 1:6.

In operation, as second input drive shaft spur gear 552 a is rotated,due to a rotation of second connector sleeve 560 and second input driveshaft 526 a, as a result of the rotation of the second respective driveconnector 120 of surgical instrument 100, second input drive shaft spurgear 552 a engages first input transmission spur gear 554 a causingfirst input transmission spur gear 554 a to rotate. As first inputtransmission spur gear 554 a rotates, first transmission shaft 554 isrotated and thus causes first output transmission spur gear 554 b, thatis keyed to first transmission shaft 554, to rotate. As first outputtransmission spur gear 554 b rotates, since second input transmissionspur gear 556 a is engaged therewith, second input transmission spurgear 556 a is also rotated. As second input transmission spur gear 556 arotates, second transmission shaft 256 is rotated and thus causes secondoutput transmission spur gear 256 b, that is keyed to secondtransmission shaft 556, to rotate. As second output transmission spurgear 556 b rotates, since second output drive shaft spur gear 558 b isengaged therewith, second output drive shaft spur gear 558 b is rotated.As second output drive shaft spur gear 558 b rotates, since secondoutput drive shaft spur gear 558 b is keyed to second output drive shaft558 a, second output drive shaft 558 a is rotated.

The shaft assembly 500, including second gear train system 550,functions to transmit operative forces from surgical instrument 100 toend effector 501 in order rotate shaft assembly 500 and/or end effector501 relative to surgical instrument 100.

As illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 18, the transmission housing 512 andshaft coupling assembly 514 rotatably support a third drive shaft 528.Third drive shaft 528 includes a proximal end 528 a configured tosupport third connector sleeve 522, and a distal end 528 b extending toand operatively connected to an articulation assembly 570.

As illustrated in FIG. 14, elongate, outer tubular body 510 of shaftassembly 500 includes a first half section 511 a and a second halfsection 511 b defining at least three longitudinally extending channelsthrough outer tubular body 510 when half sections 511 a, 511 b are matedwith one another. The channels are configured and dimensioned torotatably receive and support first output drive shaft 546 a, secondoutput drive shaft 558 a, and third drive shaft 528 as first outputdrive shaft 546 a, second output drive shaft 558 a, and third driveshaft 528 extend from transmission housing 512 to articulating neckassembly 530. Each of first output drive shaft 546 a, second outputdrive shaft 558 a, and third drive shaft 528 are elongate andsufficiently rigid to transmit rotational forces from transmissionhousing 520 to articulating neck assembly 530.

Turning to FIG. 14, the shaft assembly 500 further includes anarticulating neck assembly 530. The articulating neck assembly 530includes a proximal neck housing 532, a plurality of links 534 connectedto and extending in series from proximal neck housing 532; and a distalneck housing 536 connected to and extending from a distal-most link ofthe plurality of links 534. It is contemplated that, in any of theaspects disclosed herein, that the shaft assembly may have a single linkor pivot member for allowing the articulation of the end effector. It iscontemplated that, in any of the aspects disclosed herein, that thedistal neck housing can be incorporated with the distal most link.

The entire disclosures of:

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0110453, filed Oct. 23,2012, and titled SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH RAPID POST EVENT DETECTION;

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0282052, filed Jun. 19,2013, and titled APPARATUS FOR ENDOSCOPIC PROCEDURES; and

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0274722, filed May 10,2013, and titled APPARATUS FOR ENDOSCOPIC PROCEDURES, are herebyincorporated by reference herein.

Referring to FIGS. 19-20, a surgical instrument 1010 is depicted. Thesurgical instrument 1010 is similar in many respects to the surgicalinstrument 100. For example, the surgical instrument 1010 is configuredfor selective connection with the end effector or single use loadingunit or reload 300 via the adapter 200. Also, the surgical instrument1010 includes a handle housing 102 that includes a lower housing portion104, an intermediate housing portion 106, and an upper housing portion108.

Like the surgical instrument 100, the surgical instrument 1010 includesa drive mechanism 160 which is configured to drive shafts and/or gearcomponents in order to perform the various operations of surgicalinstrument 1010. In at least one instance, the drive mechanism 160includes a rotation drivetrain 1012 (See FIG. 20) configured to rotateend effector 300 about a longitudinal axis “X” (see FIG. 2) relative tohandle housing 102. The drive mechanism 160 further includes a closuredrivetrain 1014 (See FIG. 20) configured to move the anvil assembly 306relative to the cartridge assembly 308 of the end effector 300 tocapture tissue therebetween. In addition, the drive mechanism 160includes a firing drivetrain 1016 (See FIG. 20) configured to fire astapling and cutting cartridge within the cartridge assembly 308 of theend effector 300.

As described above, referring primarily to FIGS. 7, 8, and 20, the drivemechanism 160 includes a selector gearbox assembly 162 that can belocated immediately proximal relative to adapter 200. Proximal to theselector gearbox assembly 162 is the function selection module 163 whichincludes the first motor 164 that functions to selectively move gearelements within the selector gearbox assembly 162 to selectivelyposition one of the drivetrains 1012, 1014, and 1016 into engagementwith the input drive component 165 of the second motor 166.

Referring to FIG. 20, the motors 164 and 166 are coupled to motorcontrol circuits 1018 and 1018′, respectively, which are configured tocontrol the operation of the motors 164 and 66 including the flow ofelectrical energy from a power source 156 to the motors 164 and 166. Thepower source 156 may be a DC battery (e.g., rechargeable lead-based,nickel-based, lithium-ion based, battery etc.), an AC/DC transformer, orany other power source suitable for providing electrical energy to thesurgical instrument 1010.

The surgical instrument 1010 further includes a microcontroller 1020(“controller”). In certain instances, the controller 1020 may include amicroprocessor 1036 (“processor”) and one or more computer readablemediums or memory units 1038 (“memory”). In certain instances, thememory 1038 may store various program instructions, which when executedmay cause the processor 1036 to perform a plurality of functions and/orcalculations described herein. The power source 156 can be configured tosupply power to the controller 1020, for example.

The processor 1036 can be in communication with the motor controlcircuit 1018. In addition, the memory 1038 may store programinstructions, which when executed by the processor 1036 in response to auser input 1034, may cause the motor control circuit 1018 to motivatethe motor 164 to generate at least one rotational motion to selectivelymove gear elements within the selector gearbox assembly 162 toselectively position one of the drivetrains 1012, 1014, and 1016 intoengagement with the input drive component 165 of the second motor 166.Furthermore, the processor 1036 can be in communication with the motorcontrol circuit 1018′. The memory 1038 may also store programinstructions, which when executed by the processor 1036 in response to auser input 1034, may cause the motor control circuit 1018′ to motivatethe motor 166 to generate at least one rotational motion to drive thedrivetrain engaged with the input drive component 165 of the secondmotor 166, for example.

The controller 1020 and/or other controllers of the present disclosuremay be implemented using integrated and/or discrete hardware elements,software elements, and/or a combination of both. Examples of integratedhardware elements may include processors, microprocessors,microcontrollers, integrated circuits, ASICs, PLDs, DSPs, FPGAs, logicgates, registers, semiconductor devices, chips, microchips, chip sets,microcontrollers, SoC, and/or SIP. Examples of discrete hardwareelements may include circuits and/or circuit elements such as logicgates, field effect transistors, bipolar transistors, resistors,capacitors, inductors, and/or relays. In certain instances, thecontroller 1020 may include a hybrid circuit comprising discrete andintegrated circuit elements or components on one or more substrates, forexample.

In certain instances, the controller 1020 and/or other controllers ofthe present disclosure may be an LM 4F230H5QR, available from TexasInstruments, for example. In certain instances, the Texas InstrumentsLM4F230H5QR is an ARM Cortex-M4F Processor Core comprising on-chipmemory of 256 KB single-cycle flash memory, or other non-volatilememory, up to 40 MHz, a prefetch buffer to improve performance above 40MHz, a 32 KB single-cycle SRAM, internal ROM loaded with StellarisWare®software, 2 KB EEPROM, one or more PWM modules, one or more QEI analog,one or more 12-bit ADC with 12 analog input channels, among otherfeatures that are readily available. Other microcontrollers may bereadily substituted for use with the present disclosure. Accordingly,the present disclosure should not be limited in this context.

In various instances, one or more of the various steps described hereincan be performed by a finite state machine comprising either acombinational logic circuit or a sequential logic circuit, where eitherthe combinational logic circuit or the sequential logic circuit iscoupled to at least one memory circuit. The at least one memory circuitstores a current state of the finite state machine. The combinational orsequential logic circuit is configured to cause the finite state machineto the steps. The sequential logic circuit may be synchronous orasynchronous. In other instances, one or more of the various stepsdescribed herein can be performed by a circuit that includes acombination of the processor 1036 and the finite state machine, forexample.

Referring again to FIG. 20, the surgical instrument 1010 furtherincludes a drivetrain failure detection module 1040. The processor 1036can be in communication with or otherwise control the module 1040. Themodule 1040 can be embodied as various means, such as circuitry,hardware, a computer program product comprising a computer readablemedium (for example, the memory 1038) storing computer readable programinstructions that are executable by a processing device (for example,the processor 1036), or some combination thereof. In some aspects, theprocessor 1036 can include, or otherwise control the module 1040.

Referring to FIG. 20, the module 1040 may include one or more sensors(not shown) which can be configured to detect an acute drivetrainfailure in one or more of the drivetrains 1012, 1014, and 1016.

Referring to FIG. 20, the module 1040 can be configured to detect anacute failure in an active drivetrain of the surgical instrument 1010.The term “active” as used herein in connection with the drivetrains1012, 1014, and 1016 refers to a selected drivetrain that is engagedwith the input drive component 165 and is driven by the second motor166. The term “acute failure” as used herein refers to a failure thatcan cause one or more of the drivetrains 1012, 1014, and 1016, forexample, to operate at less than optimal performance levels. One exampleof an acute drivetrain failure may involve a tooth damage to one or moreof the gears of an active drivetrain and/or or excessive slop in theactive drivetrain.

In the event of an acute drivetrain failure, the active drivetrain maystill be operated to complete a surgical step or to reset the surgicalinstrument 1010; however, certain precautionary and/or safety steps canbe taken, as described below in greater detail, to avoid or minimizeadditional damage to the active drivetrain and/or other components ofthe surgical instrument 1010. Alternatively, in the event of acatastrophic failure, the active drivetrain is rendered inoperable, andcertain bailout steps are taken to ensure, among other things, a safedetachment of the surgical instrument 1010 from the tissue beingtreated.

Referring again to FIG. 21, a logic diagram 1021 represents possibleoperations that can be implemented by the surgical instrument 1010 inresponse to active drivetrain failures. The memory 1038 may includeprogram instructions, which when executed by the processor 1036, maycause the processor 1036 to employ the module 1040 to continuouslydetect 1023 active drivetrain failures. The memory 1038 may includeprogram instructions, which when executed by the processor 1036, maycause the processor 1036 to respond to a detected acute drivetrainfailure by activating a safe mode 1022 of operation, for example. Inaddition, the memory 1038 may include program instructions, which whenexecuted by the processor 1036, may cause the processor 1036 to respondto a detected catastrophic drivetrain failure by activating a recoveryor bailout mode 1022. If no drivetrain failures are detected, theprocessor 1036 may permit the surgical instrument 1010 to continue 1027with normal operations until an active drivetrain failure is detected.

Referring to FIG. 22, the safe mode 1022 may include one or more stepssuch as, for example, a motor modulation step 1026 which can be employedby the processor 1036 to limit the speed of an active drivetrain. Forexample, if the firing drivetrain 1016 is being actively driven by themotor 166 during a firing sequence, a detection of an acute drivetrainfailure by the module 1040 may cause the processor 1036 to communicateto the motor drive circuit 1018′ instructions to cause the mechanicaloutput of the motor 166 to be reduced. A reduction in the mechanicaloutput of the motor 166 reduces the speed of the active drivetrain 1016which ensures safe completion of the firing sequence and/or resetting ofthe active drivetrain 1016 to an original or starting position.

Likewise, if the closure drivetrain 1014 is being actively driven by themotor 166 during a closure motion to capture tissue by the end effector300, a detection of an acute drivetrain failure by the module 1040 maycause the processor 1036 to communicate to the motor drive circuit 1018′instructions to cause the mechanical output of motor 166 to be reduced.A reduction in the mechanical output of the motor 166 reduces the speedof the active drivetrain 1014 which ensures safe completion of theclosure motion and/or resetting of the active drivetrain 1014 to anoriginal or starting position. Also, if the rotation drivetrain 1012 isbeing actively driven by the motor 166, a detection of an acutedrivetrain failure by the module 1040 may cause the processor 1036 tocommunicate to the motor drive circuit 1018′ instructions to cause themechanical output of motor 166 to be reduced. A reduction in themechanical output of the motor 166 reduces the speed of the activedrivetrain 1012 which ensures safe completion of the rotation and/orresetting of the active drivetrain 1012 to an original or startingposition.

Referring to FIG. 23, the motor modulation step 1026 can be implementedby program instructions stored in the memory 1038 which, when executedby the processor 1036, may cause the processor 1036 to communicate withthe motor drive circuit 1018′, for example, to modulate a motor inputvoltage (Vm) of the motor 166, for example, to reduce a speed of anactive drivetrain operably coupled to the motor 166. In at least oneinstance, as illustrated in FIG. 23, the motor modulation 1026 maycomprise delivering the motor input voltage (Vm) in pulses that arespaced apart from one another by time periods (t₁) with no or zero motorinput voltage (Vm). Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 23A, the motormodulation 1026 may comprise a reduction in the motor input voltage (Vm)from a first voltage (V1) to a second voltage (V2). Delivering the motorinput voltage (Vm) sparingly reduces the mechanical output of the motor166 which, in turn, reduces or limits the speed of the activedrivetrain. Reducing the speed of the active drivetrain, as describedabove, can slow the rotation of the drivetrain around the damagedsection and/or limit the force of engagement with a tooth that follows adamaged or missing tooth.

The motor input voltage (Vm) pulses may each comprise a time period(t₂). In at least one instance, a ratio of a time period (t₂) to a timeperiod (t₁) can be any value selected from a range of about 1/100 toabout 1, for example. In at least one instance, a ratio of a time period(t₂) to a time period (t₁) can be any value selected from a range ofabout 1/20 to about 1/80, for example. In at least one instance, a ratioof a time period (t₂) to a time period (t₁) can be any value selectedfrom a range of about 1/30 to about 1/60, for example. Other values ofthe ratio of a time period (t₂) to a time period (t₁) are contemplatedby the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 22A, in certain instances, a different or dedicatedmotor modulation 1026 can be implemented for each of the drivetrains1012, 1014, and/or 1016. A logic diagram 1041 represents possibleoperations that can be implemented by the surgical instrument 1010 insuch instances. As described above, the memory 1038 may include programinstructions, which when executed by the processor 1036, may cause theprocessor 1036 to employ the module 1040 to continuously detect 1023active drivetrain failures. The memory 1038 may also include programinstructions, which when executed by the processor 1036, may cause theprocessor 1036 to respond to a detected 1027 acute drivetrain failure byimplementing one of a firing drivetrain modulation algorithm 1043, aclosure drivetrain modulation algorithm 1045, and a rotation drivetrainmodulation algorithm 1049 depending on the type or nature of the activedrivetrain when the acute failure is detected. The firing drivetrainmodulation algorithm 1043, the closure drivetrain modulation algorithm1045, and/or the rotation drivetrain modulation algorithm 1049 can bestored in the memory 1038, for example.

Referring again to FIG. 22, the safe mode 1022 may also include a sensorbypass step 1028. The surgical instrument 1010 may include a variety ofsensors such as, for example, closed loop sensors that are configured toprovide various data to the processor 1036 regarding the operation ofthe surgical instrument 1010. In the event of an acute drivetrainfailure, the data provided by such sensors may not be accurate. Inresponse, the memory 1038 may include program instructions which, whenexecuted by the processor 1036, may cause the processor 1036 to respondto a detected acute drivetrain failure by bypassing input from suchsensors and/or deactivating or pausing functions that are triggered inresponse to the input from such sensors.

The memory 1038 may include a sensor bypass database of a subset ofsensors that are to be deactivated or ignored in the event of an acutedrivetrain failure. In at least one instance, the processor 1036 mayutilize the sensor bypass database to implement the sensor bypass stepin the event of an acute drivetrain failure.

The safe mode 1022 may also include a step 1029 of alerting a user ofthe surgical instrument 1010 that an acute drivetrain failure has beendetected, and that the surgical instrument 1010 will continue to run inthe safe mode 1022 which may limit or reduce the functions available tothe user, for example. The processor 1036 may employ a feedback system1035 to issue such alerts to the user of the surgical instrument 1010.The feedback system 1035 may include one or more feedback elements 1034and/or one or more user input elements 1037, for example. In certaininstances, the feedback system 1035 may comprise one or more visualfeedback elements including display screens, backlights, and/or LEDs,for example. In certain instances, the feedback system 1035 may compriseone or more audio feedback systems such as speakers and/or buzzers, forexample. In certain instances, the feedback system 1035 may comprise oneor more haptic feedback systems, for example. In certain instances, thefeedback system 1035 may comprise combinations of visual, audio, and/orhaptic feedback systems, for example.

Referring to FIG. 24, a logic diagram 1021′, which is similar in manyrespects to the logic diagram 1021, represents possible operations thatcan be implemented by the surgical instrument 1010 in response to activedrivetrain failures. In at least one instance, as illustrated in FIG.24, operating the surgical instrument 1010 in the safe mode 1022 can beconditioned on obtaining an approval from a user of the surgicalinstrument 1010, as illustrated in FIG. 24. The motor 166, for example,can be suspended 1033 after an acute drivetrain failure is detected. Thememory 1038 may include program instructions, which when executed by theprocessor 1036, may cause the processor 1036 to suspend operation of anactive drivetrain, in response to an acute drivetrain failure, bysuspending operation of the motor 166, for example. The motor 166 can bestopped and/or disabled by disconnecting the power source 156 from themotor 166, for example. In various instances, a motor override circuitcan be employed by the processor 1036 to stop power delivery to themotor 166, for example.

After disabling the motor 166, the processor 1036 can solicit anapproval from the user to proceed in the safe mode 1022 via one or moreof the feedback elements 1037. The operator's decision can becommunicated to the processor 1036 via the user input 1034. If theoperator chooses to proceed in the safe mode 1022, the processor 1036can reactivate the damaged drivetrain, by reactivating powertransmission to the motor 166, and proceed in the safe mode 1022.Alternatively, if the operator chooses not to proceed in the safe mode1022, the processor 1036 may activate the bailout mode 1024.

Referring again to FIG. 22, the safe mode 1022 may also include aservice request step 1042 for initiating a service request in the eventof an acute failure of an active drivetrain. The memory 1038 may includeprogram instructions, which when executed by the processor 1036, maycause the processor 1036 to respond to a detected acute drivetrainfailure by initiating a service request. The request can becommunicated, through any suitable mode of communication, to a servicingunit which can be in the form of an external server, for example.

In at least one instance, a wireless mode of communication can beemployed to initiate the service request. The wireless mode ofcommunication can include one or more of Dedicated Short RangeCommunication (DSRC), Bluetooth, WiFi, ZigBee, Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) and Near Field Communication (NFC).

The service request communication may also include any saved data inconnection with the detected drivetrain failure such as, for example,the time and date of the failure, the type of the active drivetrain,and/or the surgical step during which the failure occurred. Furthermore,the feedback system 1035 may include one or more visual feedbackelements such as, for example, the screen 1046 which can be employed toprovide an interactive walkthrough of serviceability options and/orrebuild steps, for example.

Referring again to FIG. 22, the safe mode 1022 may also include alimited functionality step 1044. The memory 1038 may include programinstructions, which when executed by the processor 1036, may cause theprocessor 1036 to respond to a detected acute drivetrain failure bylimiting the functions of the surgical instrument 1010 that areavailable to the user. In at least one instance, processor 1036 canlimit the available functions to ones that reset or return the surgicalinstrument 1010 to an original or starting position. For example, in theevent an acute failure is detected in the firing drivetrain 1016, theprocessor 1036 can be configured to suspend further advancement of thefiring drivetrain 1016, and only allow retraction of the firingdrivetrain 1016 to an original or starting position. Likewise, in theevent an acute failure is detected in the closure drivetrain 1014 duringa closure motion of the end effector 300, the processor 1036 can beconfigured to suspend further advancement of the closure drivetrain1014, and only allow retraction of the closure drivetrain 1014 to anoriginal or starting position thereby releasing any captured tissue.Otherwise, functions that are not affected by the detected failure maystill remain available.

In the event a catastrophic drivetrain failure rather than an acutedrivetrain failure is detected, a bailout mode 1024 can be activated.The memory 1038 may include program instructions, which when executed bythe processor 1036, may cause the processor 1036 to respond to an acutedrivetrain failure by activating the bailout mode 1024. In at least oneinstance, as illustrated in FIG. 25, the bailout mode 1024 may include amechanical bailout step 1046. In the event of a catastrophic failure ofan active drivetrain such as, for example, the firing drivetrain 1016,the processor 1036 may suspend the firing drivetrain 1016 by stoppingthe motor 166. In addition, the processor 1036 may employ one or more ofthe feedback elements 1037 to alert 1029 the user as to the detectedfailure and provide instructions to the user of the surgical instrument1010 to mechanically complete the firing sequence and/or reset thefiring drivetrain 1016.

In the event of a catastrophic failure of an active closure drivetrain1014, the processor 1036 may suspend the closure drivetrain 1014 bystopping the motor 166. In addition, the processor 1036 may employ oneor more of the feedback elements 1037 to provide instructions to theuser of the surgical instrument 1010 to mechanically complete theclosure motion and/or reset the closure drivetrain 1014.

Referring to FIG. 19, the surgical instrument 1010 can include a bailoutdoor 1013 which can be opened using a bailout handle 1047. The bailoutdoor 1013 can be opened by a user of the surgical instrument 1010 toaccess a bailout assembly which can be employed to mechanically completea firing sequence, for example, and/or reset a firing drivetrain 1016 ofthe surgical instrument 1010. U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/226,142, titled SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A SENSOR SYSTEM, andfiled Mar. 26, 2014, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2015/0272575 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0089970disclose bailout arrangements and other components, arrangements andsystems that may also be employed with the various instruments disclosedherein. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/226,142, titled SURGICALINSTRUMENT COMPRISING A SENSOR SYSTEM, and filed Mar. 26, 2014, now U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0272575, is hereby incorporatedby reference in its entirety. Also, U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/249,117, titled POWERED SURGICAL CUTTING AND STAPLING APPARATUS WITHMANUALLY RETRACTABLE FIRING SYSTEM, now U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2010/0089970, is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

Referring again to FIG. 25, the bailout mode 1024 may further include ofone or more of the steps described above in connection with the safemode 1022. For example, the bailout mode 1024 may include a sensorbypass step 1028. The memory 1038 may include program instructionswhich, when executed by the processor 1036, may cause the processor 1036to respond to a catastrophic drivetrain failure by bypassing input fromvarious sensors and/or deactivating or pausing functions that aretriggered in response to input from such sensors.

The memory 1038 may include a sensor bypass database of a subset ofsensors that are to be deactivated or ignored in the event of acatastrophic drivetrain failure. In at least one instance, the processor1036 may utilize the sensor bypass database to implement the sensorbypass step in the event of a catastrophic drivetrain failure. Thebailout mode 1024 may also include a service request step 1042 forinitiating a service request in the event of a catastrophic failure ofan active drivetrain.

Referring to FIG. 26A, a surgical instrument 2010 is depicted. Thesurgical instrument 2010 is similar in many respects to the surgicalinstrument 100. For example, the surgical instrument 2010 is configuredfor selective connection with the end effector or single use loadingunit or reload 300 via the adapter 200. Also, the surgical instrument2010 includes a handle housing 102 that includes a lower housing portion104, an intermediate housing portion 106, and an upper housing portion108. In addition, the surgical instrument 2010 includes a power pack2012 held in the lower housing portion 104. Like the battery 156, thepower pack 2012 is separably couplable to the surgical instrument 2010.One or more connectors 2019 can be configured to electrically couple thepower pack 2012 to the surgical instrument 2010, as illustrated in FIG.28, when the power pack 2012 is attached to the surgical instrument2010. The connectors 2019 facilitate communication and power exchangebetween the power pack 2012 and the surgical instrument 2010.

As illustrated in FIG. 26B, the lower housing portion 104 comprisesresilient members 2017 and 2018 that are configured to provide asnap-fit engagement with the intermediate housing portion 106. Othermechanisms for attaching the lower housing portion 104 to theintermediate housing portion 106 are contemplated by the presentdisclosure. In the aspect illustrated in FIG. 26A, the power pack 2012can be separated from the surgical instrument 2010 by retracting orpulling the lower housing portion 104 in a direction away from theintermediate housing portion 106.

Referring to FIGS. 26B and 28, the power pack 2012 includes a pluralityof battery cells (B1 . . . Bn) 2014 and an electronic control circuit2016. The battery cells 2014 are arranged in series and are electricallycoupled to the electronic control circuit 2016. Other arrangements ofthe battery cells 2014 are contemplated by the present disclosure. Inthe aspect illustrated in FIG. 26B, the power pack 2012 includes fourbattery cells (B1-B4). In other aspects, as illustrated in FIG. 28, thepower pack 2012 may include more or less than four battery cells. Invarious instances, the battery cells 2014 are replaceable and/orrechargeable.

Referring to FIG. 27, a method 2009 of monitoring the health of thepower pack 2012 during a firing sequence of the surgical instrument 2010is depicted. The method 2009 includes steps for responding to a detecteddrop in the health of the power pack 2012 below a predeterminedthreshold. The method 2009 comprises a step 2011 of detecting activationof the firing sequence. The method 2009 further comprises a step 2013 ofmonitoring the health of the power pack after detection of theactivation of the firing sequence. The step of monitoring the health ofthe power pack 2012 may include monitoring one or more parametersassociated with the power pack 2012 such as, for example, temperature,output current, and/or output voltage. In the event it is detected thatthe health of the power pack 2012 is partially compromised, the method2009 further comprises at least one post detection safety and/oroperational measure. For example, the method 2009 further comprisesalerting a user of the surgical instrument 2010 and/or recording adamaged status of the compromised power pack 2012.

In at least one instance, the method 2009 further comprises determiningwhether the firing sequence can be completed. In the event it isdetermined that the firing sequence cannot be completed, the method 2009further comprises alerting the user of the surgical instrument 2010and/or resetting the firing sequence. The step of resetting the firingsequence may include, among other things, retracting the drive assembly360 to an original or starting position. In the event it is determinedthat the firing sequence can be completed, the method 2009 furthercomprises alerting the user of the surgical instrument 2010 to continuethe firing sequence. In addition the method 2009 may further compriseincreasing and/or prioritizing a power output of the power pack 2012 tofacilitate completion of the firing sequence. Upon completion of thefiring sequence, the method 9 may further comprise a step ofdeactivating the surgical instrument 2010.

The safety and/or operational measures of the method 2009 can beemployed in addressing a situation where the firing sequence has beenstarted but is only partially completed due to a failure of the powerpack 2012. This situation generally yields a tissue region that is onlypartially stapled and/or resected. The method 2009 permits completion ofthe stapling and/or resection of the tissue region in the event thefailure of the power pack 2012 is a partial failure.

Referring to FIG. 28, the power pack 2012 may employ the electroniccontrol circuit 2016 to monitor the health of the power pack 2012 duringa firing sequence of the surgical instrument 2010 and respond to adetected drop in the health of the power pack 2012 below a predeterminedthreshold. The electronic control circuit 2016 may include one or moresensors (S1 . . . Sn) 2015 for monitoring the health of the power pack2012. In the aspect illustrated in FIG. 34, the electronic controlcircuit 2016 includes a voltage sensor 2022, a temperature sensor 2024,and a current sensor 2026 which cooperate to monitor the health statusof the power pack 2012, as described in greater detail below. Othersensors can also be employed by the electronic control circuit 2016 tomonitor the health of the power pack 2012.

Further to the above, the electronic control circuit 2016 includes amicrocontroller 2028 (“controller”) that is operably coupled to sensors2015, as illustrated in FIG. 28. In certain instances, the controller2028 may include a microprocessor 2030 (“processor”) and one or morecomputer readable mediums or memory units 2032 (“memory”). In certaininstances, the memory 2032 may store various program instructions, whichwhen executed may cause the processor 2030 to perform a plurality offunctions and/or calculations described herein such as, for example, oneor more of the steps of the method 2009 depicted in FIG. 27. In certaininstances, the memory 2032 may be coupled to the processor 2030, forexample. The battery cells 2014 can be configured to supply power to thecontroller 2028, the sensors 2015, and/or other components of theelectronic control circuit 2016, for example. Furthermore, thecontroller 2028 can be in communication with a main controller 2029 inthe surgical instrument 2010, as illustrated in FIG. 28, which can alsobe powered by the battery cells 2014 through the connectors 2019.

The controller 2028 and/or other controllers of the present disclosuremay be implemented using integrated and/or discrete hardware elements,software elements, and/or a combination of both. Examples of integratedhardware elements may include processors, microprocessors,microcontrollers, integrated circuits, ASICs, PLDs, DSPs, FPGAs, logicgates, registers, semiconductor devices, chips, microchips, chip sets,microcontrollers, SoC, and/or SIP. Examples of discrete hardwareelements may include circuits and/or circuit elements such as logicgates, field effect transistors, bipolar transistors, resistors,capacitors, inductors, and/or relays. In certain instances, thecontroller 2028 may include a hybrid circuit comprising discrete andintegrated circuit elements or components on one or more substrates, forexample.

In certain instances, the controller 2028 and/or other controllers ofthe present disclosure may be an LM 4F230H5QR, available from TexasInstruments, for example. In certain instances, the Texas InstrumentsLM4F230H5QR is an ARM Cortex-M4F Processor Core comprising on-chipmemory of 256 KB single-cycle flash memory, or other non-volatilememory, up to 40 MHz, a prefetch buffer to improve performance above 40MHz, a 32 KB single-cycle SRAM, internal ROM loaded with StellarisWare®software, 2 KB EEPROM, one or more PWM modules, one or more QEI analog,one or more 12-bit ADC with 12 analog input channels, among otherfeatures that are readily available. Other microcontrollers may bereadily substituted for use with the present disclosure. Accordingly,the present disclosure should not be limited in this context.

In various instances, one or more of the various steps described hereincan be performed by a finite state machine comprising either acombinational logic circuit or a sequential logic circuit, where eitherthe combinational logic circuit or the sequential logic circuit iscoupled to at least one memory circuit. The at least one memory circuitstores a current state of the finite state machine. The combinational orsequential logic circuit is configured to cause the finite state machineto the steps. The sequential logic circuit may be synchronous orasynchronous. In other instances, one or more of the various stepsdescribed herein can be performed by a circuit that includes acombination of the processor 2030 and the finite state machine, forexample.

Referring to FIG. 28, the electronic control circuit 2016 may furtherinclude a boost converter 2036. As illustrated in FIG. 28, the batterycells 2014 are coupled to the voltage converter or a boost converter2036. The processor 2030 can be configured to employ the boost converter2036 to provide a boosted voltage or step-up the voltage to maintain aminimum voltage sufficient to complete a firing sequence in the event itis determined that one or more of the battery cells 2014 is damaged orcompromised during operation of the surgical instrument 2010.

In at least one instance, as illustrated in FIG. 28, the processor 2030can be configured to respond to a determination that one or more of thebattery cells 2014 are compromised by employing a feedback system 2034to issue an alert to a user of the surgical instrument 100. In certaininstances, the feedback system 2034 may comprise one or more visualfeedback systems such as display screens, backlights, and/or LEDs, forexample. In certain instances, the feedback system 2034 may comprise oneor more audio feedback systems such as speakers and/or buzzers, forexample. In certain instances, the feedback system 2034 may comprise oneor more haptic feedback systems, for example. In certain instances, thefeedback system 2034 may comprise combinations of visual, audio, and/orhaptic feedback systems, for example.

In at least one instance, the processor 2030 is configured to respond toa determination that one or more of the battery cells 2014 arecompromised by storing or recording a damaged status of the power pack2012 in the memory 2032. A damaged status of the power pack 2012 canalso be stored in a memory 2054 of a main controller 2029 within thesurgical instrument 2040. The processor 2030 of the controller 2028 ofthe power pack 2012 can be in communication with the processor 2052 ofthe main controller 2029 to report to the main controller 2029 thedamaged status of the power pack 2012. In response to a determinationthat one or more of the battery cells 2014 are compromised, theprocessor 2052 of the main controller 2029 can be configured to resetthe firing sequence by causing the drive assembly 360 to return to anoriginal or starting position, for example. Alternatively, in certaininstances, the processor 2052 can be configured to reroute power fromnon-essential systems of the surgical instrument 2040 to ensurecompletion of the firing sequence in the event of a determination thatone or more of the battery cells 2014 are compromised during the firingsequence. Examples of non-essential systems may include backlit liquidcrystal displays (LCDs) and/or Light-emitting diode (LED) indicators.After completion of the firing sequence, the processor 2052 of the maincontroller 2029 can be configured to cause the surgical instrument 2040to be deactivated until the damaged power pack 2012 is replaced with anundamaged power pack, for example.

Referring to FIG. 29, the step 2013 of monitoring the health of thepower pack 2012 may include monitoring an output voltage of the batterycells 2014. In such instances, the sensors 2015 may include a voltagesensor which can be arranged in parallel with the battery cells 2014.The voltage sensor can be configured to sample the output voltage of thebattery cells 2014 during the firing sequence of the surgical instrument2010. Additional voltage readings can be obtained prior to activation ofthe firing sequence and/or after completion of the firing sequence. Theprocessor 2030 can be configured to receive the voltage readings of thevoltage sensor, and compare the readings to a predetermined voltagethreshold (vt) that can be stored in the memory 2032. In the event of avoltage reading, or an average of a plurality of voltage readings, thatreaches and/or falls below the predetermined voltage threshold (vt), theprocessor 2030 may conclude that one or more of the battery cells 2014are compromised or damaged. In response, the processor 2030 can beconfigured activate one or more of the safety and/or operationalmeasures described above.

Referring to FIG. 30, the step 2013 of monitoring the health of thepower pack 2012 may include monitoring the current draw from the batterycells 2014. In such instances, the sensors 2015 may include a currentsensor which can be arranged in series with the battery cells 2014. Thecurrent sensor can be configured to sample the current draw from thebattery cells 2014 during the firing sequence of the surgical instrument2010. Additional current readings can be obtained prior to activation ofthe firing sequence and/or after completion of the firing sequence. Theprocessor 2030 can be configured to receive the current readings of thecurrent sensor and compare the readings to a predetermined currentthreshold (It) that can be stored in the memory 2032. In the event of acurrent reading, or an average of a plurality of current readings, thatreaches and/or falls below the predetermined current threshold (It), theprocessor 2030 may conclude that one or more of the battery cells 2014are compromised or damaged. In response, the processor 2030 can beconfigured to activate one or more of the safety and/or operationalmeasures described above.

Referring to FIG. 31, the step 2013 of monitoring the health of thepower pack 2012 may include monitoring a temperature of the batterycells 2014. In such instances, the sensors 2015 may include one or moretemperature sensors which can be positioned inside the power pack 2012in close proximity to the battery cells 2014. The temperature sensorscan be configured to sample the temperature of the battery cells 2014during the firing sequence of the surgical instrument 100. Additionaltemperature readings can be obtained prior to activation of the firingsequence and/or after completion of the firing sequence. The processor2030 can be configured to receive the temperature readings of thetemperature sensor and compare the readings to a predeterminedtemperature threshold (Tt) that can be stored in the memory 2032. In theevent of a temperature reading, or an average of a plurality oftemperature readings, that reaches and/or exceeds the predeterminedtemperature threshold (Tt), the processor 2030 may conclude that one ormore of the battery cells 2014 are compromised or damaged. In response,the processor 2030 can be configured to activate one or more of thesafety and/or operational measures described above.

Referring to FIG. 32, a surgical instrument 2040 is similar in manyrespects to the surgical instruments 2010 and 100. The surgicalinstrument 2040 includes a power pack 2042, which is similar in manyrespects to the power pack 2012. In addition, the power pack 2042includes an insulation chamber 2044 that houses the battery cells 2014.The insulation chamber 2044 includes an insulation wall 2046 that isconfigured to resist heat transfer between the inside and the outside ofthe insulation chamber 2044. The insulation chamber 2044 also houses oneor more temperature sensors 2024 that are configured to sample aninternal temperature inside the insulation chamber 2044 during thefiring sequence of the surgical instrument 2040. Additional temperaturesensors 2024′ are positioned outside the insulation chamber 2044 tosample an external temperature outside the insulation chamber 2044during the firing sequence of the surgical instrument 2040.

The processor 2030 is configured to receive the external and internaltemperature readings of the temperature sensors 2024′ and 2024,respectively. In addition, the processor 30 is configured to apply analgorithm, which can be stored in the memory 2032, to quantitativelycompare the received external and internal temperature readings. In theevent an internal temperature reading, or an average of a plurality ofinternal temperature readings, exceeds a simultaneously taken externaltemperature reading, or an average of a plurality of externaltemperature readings, by a predetermined temperature threshold (Tt),which can be stored in the memory 2032, the processor 2030 may concludethat one or more of the battery cells 2014 are compromised or damaged.In response, the processor 2030 can be configured to activate one ormore of the safety and/or operational measures described above.

In certain instances, the internal temperature sensors 2024 and theexternal temperature sensors 2024′ of the surgical instrument 2040 canbe arranged in a Wheatstone bridge circuit 2048, as illustrated in FIG.33. A voltage sensor 2022 can be employed to measure the voltage acrossthe Wheatstone bridge circuit 2048. The processor 2030 can be configuredto receive the voltage readings of the voltage sensor 2022. In the eventof a voltage reading, or an average of a plurality of voltage readings,that reaches and/or exceeds a predetermined voltage threshold (vt), theprocessor 2030 may conclude that one or more of the battery cells 2014are compromised or damaged. In response, the processor 2030 can beconfigured activate one or more of the safety and/or operationalmeasures described above.

In the aspect illustrated in FIG. 34, the electronic control circuit2016 includes a voltage sensor 2022, a temperature sensor 2024, and acurrent sensor 2026 which cooperate to monitor the health status of thepower pack 2012. The voltage sensor 2022 can be configured to monitor anoutput voltage of the battery cells 2014 while the current sensor 2026and the temperature sensor 2024 simultaneously measure a current drawfrom the battery cells 2014 and a temperature of the battery cells 2014,respectively. In at least one instance, the processor 30 is configuredto receive readings from the voltage sensor 2022, the temperature sensor2024, and the current sensor 2026 during the firing sequence of thesurgical instrument 2010. Additional readings can also be obtained priorto activation of the firing sequence and/or after completion of thefiring sequence.

FIG. 35 is a logic diagram for assessing the health status of a powerpack based on the sensor readings, according to at least one aspect ofthe present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 35, further to the above, theprocessor 2030 is configured to apply an algorithm 2050, which can bestored in the memory 2032, to assess the health status of the power pack2012 based on the readings obtained from the voltage sensor 2022, thetemperature sensor 2024, and the current sensor 2026. First, theprocessor 2030 is configured to determine whether the voltage readingreceived from the voltage sensor 2022 reaches or falls below apredetermined voltage threshold (Vt) stored in the memory 2032. Second,if the processor 2030 determines that the voltage reading reaches orfalls below the predetermined voltage threshold (Vt), the processor 2030is configured to further determine whether the current reading receivedfrom the current sensor 2026 reaches or falls below the predeterminedcurrent threshold (It) stored in the memory 2032. Third, if theprocessor 2030 determines that the current reading reaches or fallsbelow the predetermined current threshold (It), the processor 2030 isfurther configured to determine whether the temperature reading receivedfrom the temperature sensor 2024 reaches or exceeds the predeterminedtemperature threshold (Tt) stored in the memory 2032. If any of thethree conditions is not met, the processor 2030 may continue to monitorthe health of the power pack 2012. However, if all of the threeconditions are met, the processor 2030 may conclude that one or more ofthe battery cells 2014 are compromised or damaged. In response, theprocessor 2030 can be configured to activate one or more of the safetyand/or operational measures described above. In at least one instance,if two of the three conditions are met the processor 2030 may concludethat one or more of the battery cells 2014 are compromised or damaged.

Referring to FIGS. 36-36B, a surgical instrument 3010 is depicted. Thesurgical instrument 3010 is similar in many respects to the surgicalinstrument 100. For example, the surgical instrument 3010 is configuredfor selective connection with the end effector or single use loadingunit or reload 300 via the adapter 200. Also, the surgical instrument3010 includes the handle housing 102 including the lower housing portion104, the intermediate housing portion 106, and the upper housing portion108. In addition, the surgical instrument 3010 further includes areplaceable motor cartridge 3012, as illustrated in FIG. 37. The motorcartridge 3012 is separably couplable to the surgical instrument 3010. Amotor access door 3013 (FIG. 36) can be opened to obtain access to themotor cartridge 3012. Once the motor access door 3013 is opened, themotor cartridge 3012 can be removed and replaced with another motorcartridge.

As described in greater delay below, the surgical instrument 3010 isconfigured to detect a damaged motor cartridge 3012 and, in certaininstances, instruct an operator of the surgical instrument 3010 toreplace the damaged motor cartridge 3012 with an undamaged motorcartridge 3012. The ability to replace a motor cartridge 3012 is quiteuseful at least because it allows for an improved repair capabilitysince a damaged motor cartridge 3012 can be readily replaced with anundamaged motor cartridge 3012. In absence of the ability to replace adamaged motor cartridge 3012, the surgical instrument 3010 may berendered inoperable even though the majority of the components of thesurgical instrument 3010 are in good operating condition. The ability toreplace a motor cartridge 3012 is also useful in allowing modularity innew product designs, and simplifying installation of hardware upgradesas part of life cycle improvements. For example, a first generationmotor cartridge can be readily replaced with an upgraded secondgeneration motor cartridge. Motor cartridges can also be swapped betweensurgical instruments that employ the same type of motor cartridge, forexample.

The motor cartridge 3012 comprises a housing 3014 which includes highcurrent components of the surgical instrument 3010 such as, for example,at least one motor 3016 and at least one motor circuit board 3018. Sincehigh current components of the surgical instrument 3010 are moresusceptible to damage than low current components such as a main controlcircuit board 3019 and various feedback systems, it is desirable to beable to readily replace the high current components by replacing themotor cartridge 3012.

As illustrated in FIG. 38, the motor cartridge 3012 is releasablycoupled to the surgical instrument 3010. An interface 3021 between themotor cartridge 3012 and the surgical instrument 3010 comprises amechanical component represented by mechanical connectors 3022, 3023,3024, and 3025, a power/communication transmission component representedby electrical connectors 3026, 3028, 3030, and 3032. In at least oneinstance, the main control circuit board 3019 comprises a receiver 3053which can be in the form of a socket, as illustrated in FIG. 36B. Thereceiver 3053 can be configured to receive the connectors 3028 and 3032,for example, to electrically couple the main control circuit board 3019to the circuit boards 3018 and 3018′. In certain instances, theinterface 3021 may comprise one or more switches which can be activatedafter coupling engagement of the motor cartridge 3012 and the surgicalinstrument 3010. Various suitable connectors are described in U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0305990, filed Apr. 16, 2013,and titled DRIVE SYSTEM DECOUPLING ARRANGEMENT FOR A SURGICALINSTRUMENT, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety.

In the aspect illustrated in FIG. 38, the motor cartridge 3012 includestwo motors 3016 and 3016′ which are controlled by separate motor controlcircuit boards 3018 and 3018′. Alternatively, the motors 3016 and 3016′can be controlled by one motor control circuit board. In certaininstances, two or more separate motor cartridges can be employed withthe surgical instrument 3010, wherein each motor cartridge includes atleast one motor and at least one motor control circuit board forcontrolling the at least one motor, for example. For the sake ofbrevity, the following discussion will focus on the motor 3016 and thecontrol circuit board 3018; however, the following discussion is alsoapplicable to the motor 3016′ and the control circuit board 3018′.

The motor 3016 may be any electrical motor configured to actuate one ormore drives (e.g., rotatable drive connector 3024 of FIG. 36B). Themotor 3016 is powered by a power source 3034 in the surgical instrument3010. Electrical energy is transmitted to the motor 3016 through theinterface 3021. The power source 3034 may be a DC battery (e.g.,rechargeable lead-based, nickel-based, lithium-ion based, battery etc.),an AC/DC transformer, or any other power source suitable for providingelectrical energy to the motor 3016. When the motor cartridge 3012 iscoupled to the surgical instrument 3010, the power source 3034 and themotor 3016 are coupled to the motor control circuit 3018 which controlsthe operation of the motor 3016 including the flow of electrical energyfrom the power source 3034 to the motor 3016.

Referring to FIG. 38, the main control circuit board 3019 includes amicrocontroller 3020 (“controller”). In certain instances, thecontroller 3020 may include a microprocessor 3036 (“processor”) and oneor more computer readable mediums or memory units 3038 (“memory”). Incertain instances, the memory 3038 may store various programinstructions, which when executed may cause the processor 3036 toperform a plurality of functions and/or calculations described herein.The power source 3034 can be configured to supply power to thecontroller 3020 and/or other components of the main control circuitboard 3019, for example.

The controller 3020 and/or other controllers of the present disclosuremay be implemented using integrated and/or discrete hardware elements,software elements, and/or a combination of both. Examples of integratedhardware elements may include processors, microprocessors,microcontrollers, integrated circuits, ASICs, PLDs, DSPs, FPGAs, logicgates, registers, semiconductor devices, chips, microchips, chip sets,microcontrollers, SoC, and/or SIP. Examples of discrete hardwareelements may include circuits and/or circuit elements such as logicgates, field effect transistors, bipolar transistors, resistors,capacitors, inductors, and/or relays. In certain instances, thecontroller 3020 may include a hybrid circuit comprising discrete andintegrated circuit elements or components on one or more substrates, forexample.

In certain instances, the controller 3020 and/or other controllers ofthe present disclosure may be an LM 4F230H5QR, available from TexasInstruments, for example. In certain instances, the Texas InstrumentsLM4F230H5QR is an ARM Cortex-M4F Processor Core comprising on-chipmemory of 256 KB single-cycle flash memory, or other non-volatilememory, up to 40 MHz, a prefetch buffer to improve performance above 40MHz, a 32 KB single-cycle SRAM, internal ROM loaded with StellarisWare®software, 2 KB EEPROM, one or more PWM modules, one or more QEI analog,one or more 12-bit ADC with 12 analog input channels, among otherfeatures that are readily available. Other microcontrollers may bereadily substituted for use with the present disclosure. Accordingly,the present disclosure should not be limited in this context.

In various instances, one or more of the various steps described hereincan be performed by a finite state machine comprising either acombinational logic circuit or a sequential logic circuit, where eitherthe combinational logic circuit or the sequential logic circuit iscoupled to at least one memory circuit. The at least one memory circuitstores a current state of the finite state machine. The combinational orsequential logic circuit is configured to cause the finite state machineto the steps. The sequential logic circuit may be synchronous orasynchronous. In other instances, one or more of the various stepsdescribed herein can be performed by a circuit that includes acombination of the processor 3036 and the finite state machine, forexample.

FIG. 39 depicts a logic diagram 3070 representative of possibleoperations that can be implemented by the surgical instrument 3010, forexample, to monitor the health of a motor cartridge 3012 and respond toa detected motor cartridge malfunction. A motor activation signal can bereceived 3072 by the processor 3036 from an actuator 3042 of thesurgical instrument 3010. The actuator 3042 can be a switch that isconfigured to close or open a circuit upon actuation of the actuator3042. The closure or opening of the circuit can signal the processor3036 that the actuator 3042 has been actuated. In at least one instance,the actuator 3042 can be in the form of a firing trigger which can beactuated by an operator to activate a firing sequence of the surgicalinstrument 3010, for example. In another instance, the actuator 3042 canbe in the form of a closure trigger which can be actuated by an operatorto close an end effector 300 of the surgical instrument 3010, forexample. In another instance, the actuator 3042 can be in the form of arotation trigger which can be actuated by an operator to rotate an endeffector 300 of the surgical instrument 3010, for example.

Upon receipt of the activation signal, the processor 3036 may signal3074 the motor control circuit board 3018 to activate the motor 3016.The health of the motor cartridge 3012 can be continuously monitored3076 while the actuator 3042 is actuated. Under normal operatingconditions, as illustrated in FIG. 38, the motor 3016 draws current fromthe power source 3034 and generates rotational motion(s) that aretransmitted through the interface 3021 to the drive mechanism 160 inresponse to the actuation of the actuator 3042. If, however, amalfunction in the motor cartridge 3012 is detected 3078, one or moresafety and/or operational measures can be activated 3079, as describedin greater detail below. Otherwise, the motor cartridge health iscontinuously monitored 3076 while the actuator 3042 is actuated until amalfunction is detected 3078.

FIG. 40 depicts a logic diagram 3080 representative of possibleoperations that can be implemented by the surgical instrument 3010, forexample, to monitor the health of a motor cartridge 3012 and respond toa detected motor cartridge malfunction. A motor activation signal can bereceived 3082 by the processor 3036 from an actuator 3042 of thesurgical instrument 3010. Upon receipt of the activation signal, theprocessor 3036 may signal 3084 the motor control circuit board 3018 toactivate the motor 3016. At 3086, the health of the motor cartridge 3012can be continuously monitored, while the actuator 3042 is actuated, bymonitoring the current draw of the motor cartridge 3012. As illustratedin FIG. 38, the current draw of the motor cartridge 3012 can bemonitored by one or more current sensors 3040. Sensed current readingscan be communicated to the processor 3036 by the current sensor 3040. At3088, if the current draw of the motor cartridge 3012, while theactuator 3042 is actuated, becomes outside a predetermined value orrange, the processor 3036 can conclude that a malfunction of the motorcartridge 3012 is detected 3088. If a malfunction in the motor cartridge3012 is detected 3088, one or more safety and/or operational measurescan be activated 3089, as described in greater detail below. Otherwise,the motor cartridge health is continuously monitored 3086 while theactuator 3042 is actuated until a malfunction is detected 3088.

The predetermined value or range can be stored in the memory 3038, forexample. In the event a predetermined range is stored in the memory3038, the processor 3036 may access the memory 3038 to compare a currentreading, or an average of a plurality of current readings, of thecurrent sensor 3040 to the predetermined range. If the current readingis greater than or equal to a maximum value of the predetermined range,the processor 3036 may conclude that a malfunction of the motorcartridge 3012 is detected 3088. Also, if the current reading is lessthan or equal a minimum value of the predetermined range, the processor3036 may conclude that a malfunction of the motor cartridge 3012 isdetected 3088.

Likewise, in the event a stored value is stored in the memory 3038, theprocessor 3036 may access the memory 3038 to compare a current reading,or an average of a plurality of current readings, of the current sensor3040 to the predetermined value. If the current reading is greater thanor equal to the predetermined value, for example, or less than or equalto the predetermined value, for example, the processor 3036 may concludethat a malfunction of the motor cartridge 3012 is detected 3088.

In at least one instance, the processor 3036 may conclude that amalfunction of the motor cartridge 3012 is detected if the current drawof the motor cartridge 3012, while the actuator 4302 is activated, isless than or equal to 10% of the predetermined value. In at least oneinstance, the processor 3036 may conclude that a malfunction of themotor cartridge 3012 is detected if the current draw of the motorcartridge 3012, while the actuator 3042 is activated, is less than orequal to 20% of the predetermined value. In at least one instance, theprocessor 3036 may conclude that a malfunction of the motor cartridge3012 is detected if the current draw of the motor cartridge 3012, whilethe actuator 3042 is actuated, is greater than or equal to 150% of thepredetermined value. In at least one instance, the processor 3036 mayconclude that a malfunction of the motor cartridge 3012 is detected ifthe current draw of the motor cartridge 3012, while the actuator 3042 isactuated, is greater than or equal to 200% of the predetermined value.

As indicated above, the processor 3036 can be configured to respond to adetected malfunction of the motor cartridge 3012 by activating (79 and89) one or more safety and/or operational measures. For example, theprocessor 3036 may employ one or more feedback elements 3044 to issue analert to an operator of the surgical instrument 3010. In certaininstances, the feedback elements 3044 may comprise one or more visualfeedback systems such as display screens, backlights, and/or LEDs, forexample. In certain instances, the feedback elements 3044 may compriseone or more audio feedback systems such as speakers and/or buzzers, forexample. In certain instances, the feedback elements 3044 may compriseone or more haptic feedback systems, for example. In certain instances,the feedback elements 3044 may comprise combinations of visual, audio,and/or haptic feedback systems, for example.

Further to the above, the processor 3036 may employ a feedback screen3046 (FIG. 36B) of the surgical instrument 3010 to provide instructionsto an operator for how to replace the motor cartridge 3012, for example.In addition, the processor 3036 may respond to a detected malfunction ofthe motor cartridge 3012 by storing or recording a damaged status of themotor cartridge 3012 in the memory 3038.

In at least one instance, the processor 3036 may disable the surgicalinstrument 3010 until the damaged motor cartridge 3012 is replaced withan undamaged motor cartridge. Tor example, the memory 3038 may includeprogram instructions, which when executed by the processor 3036 inresponse to a detected malfunction of the motor cartridge 3012, maycause the processor 3036 to ignore input from the actuator 3042 untilthe damaged motor cartridge 3012 is replaced. A motor cartridgereplacement feedback element 3058 can be employed to alert the processor3036 when the motor cartridge 3012 is replaced, as described in greaterdetail below.

Referring primarily to FIGS. 36A and 38, the surgical instrument 3010may include a motor access door 3013. The motor access door 3013 can bereleasably locked to the handle housing 102 to control access to themotor cartridge 3012. As illustrated in FIG. 36A, the motor access door3013 may include a locking mechanism such as, for example, a snap-typelocking mechanism 3047 for locking engagement with the handle housing102. Other locking mechanisms for locking the motor access door 3013 tothe handle housing 102 are contemplated by the present disclosure. Inuse, a clinician may obtain access to the motor cartridge 3012 byunlocking the locking mechanism 3047 and opening the motor access door3013. In at least one example, the motor access door 3013 can beseparably coupled to the handle housing 102 and can be detached from thehandle housing 102 to provide access to the motor access door 3013, forexample. In another example, the motor access door 3013 can be pivotallycoupled to the handle housing 102 via hinges (not shown) and can bepivoted relative to the handle housing 102 to provide access to themotor access door 3013, for example. In yet another example, the motoraccess door 3013 can be a sliding door which can be slidably movablerelative to the handle housing 102 to provide access to the motor accessdoor 3013.

Referring again to FIG. 38, in certain instances, a motor door feedbackelement 3048 can be configured to alert the processor 3036 that thelocking mechanism 3047 is unlocked. In at least one example, the motordoor feedback element 3048 may comprise a switch circuit (not shown)operably coupled to the processor 3036; the switch circuit can beconfigured to be transitioned to an open configuration when the lockingmechanism 3047 is unlocked by a clinician and/or transitioned to aclosed configuration when the locking mechanism 3047 is locked by theclinician, for example. In at least one example, the motor door feedbackelement 3048 may comprise at least one sensor (not shown) operablycoupled to the processor 3036; the sensor can be configured to betriggered when the locking mechanism 3047 is transitioned to unlockedand/or locked configurations by the clinician, for example. The motordoor feedback element 3048 may include other means for detecting thelocking and/or unlocking of the locking mechanism 3047 by the clinician.

Referring to FIGS. 38 and 41, the controller 3020 may comprise one ormore embedded applications implemented as firmware, software, hardware,or any combination thereof. In certain instances, the controller 3020may comprise various executable modules such as software, programs,data, drivers, and/or application program interfaces (APIs), forexample. FIG. 41 depicts an example module 3050 that can be stored inthe memory 3038, for example. The module 3050 can be executed by theprocessor 3036, for example, to alert, guide, and/or provide feedback toa user of the surgical instrument 3010 with regard to replacing a motorcartridge 3012.

As illustrated in FIG. 41, the module 3050 is executed by the processor3036 to provide the user with instructions as to how to replace a motorcartridge 3012, for example. In various instances, the module 3050 maycomprise one or more decision-making steps such as, for example, adecision-making step 3052 with regard to the detection of one or moreerrors requiring replacement of the motor cartridge 3012. In at leastone instance, as described above in greater detail, the processor 3036is configured to detect an error requiring replacement of the motorcartridge 3012 when the current draw of the motor cartridge 3012, whilethe actuator 3042 is actuated, is outside a predetermined range, forexample.

When the processor 3036 detects an error in the decision-making step 52,the processor 3036 may respond by stopping and/or disabling the motor3016, for example. In addition, in certain instances, the processor 3036may also store a damaged status of the motor cartridge 3012 in thememory 3038 after detecting the motor cartridge error, as illustrated inFIG. 42. As described above, the memory 3038 can be a non-volatilememory which may preserve the stored status when the surgical instrument3010 is reset by the user, for example. In various instances, the motor3016 can be stopped and/or disabled by disconnecting the power source3034 from the motor 3016, for example. In various instances, the maincontrol circuit board 3019 may include a motor override circuit whichcan be employed by the processor 3036 to stop power delivery to themotor cartridge 3012, for example. The step of stopping the motor 3016and/or stopping power delivery to the motor cartridge 3012 can beadvantageous in preventing, or at least reducing, the possibility offurther damage to the surgical instrument 3010, for example.

Further to the above, referring still to FIG. 41, the module 3050 mayinclude a decision-making step 3054 for detecting whether the motoraccess door 3013 is removed. As described above, the processor 3036 canbe operationally coupled to the motor door feedback element 3048 whichcan be configured to alert the processor 3036 as to whether the motoraccess door 3013 is removed. In certain instances, the processor 3036can be programmed to detect that the motor access door 3013 is removedwhen the motor door feedback element 3048 reports that the lockingmechanism 3047 is unlocked, for example. In certain instances, theprocessor 3036 can be programmed to detect that the motor access door3013 is removed when the motor door feedback element 3048 reports thatthe motor access door 3013 is opened, for example. In certain instances,the processor 3036 can be programmed to detect that the motor accessdoor 3013 is removed when the motor door feedback element 3048 reportsthat the locking mechanism 3047 is unlocked and that the motor accessdoor 3013 is opened, for example.

Referring still to FIG. 41, when the processor 3036 does not detect amotor cartridge error in the decision-making step 3052 and does notdetect that the motor access door 3013 is removed in the decision-makingstep 3054, the processor 3036 may not interrupt the normal operation ofthe surgical instrument 3010 and may proceed with various clinicalalgorithms. However, the processor 3036 may continue to detect errorsrequiring replacement of the motor cartridge 3012.

In certain instances, when the processor 3036 does not detect a motorcartridge error in the decision-making step 3052 but detects that themotor access door 3013 is removed in the decision-making step 3054, theprocessor 3036 may respond by stopping and/or disabling the motor 3016,as described above. In addition, the processor 3036 may also provide theuser with instructions to reinstall the motor access door 3013. Incertain instances, when the processor 3036 detects that the motor accessdoor 3013 is reinstalled, while no motor cartridge error is detected,the processor 3036 can be configured to reconnect the power to the motor3016 and allow the user to continue with clinical algorithms, asillustrated in FIG. 41.

Further to the above, when the processor 3036 detects a motor cartridgeerror and further detects removal of the motor access door 3013, theprocessor 3036 can signal the user to replace the motor cartridge 3012by providing the user with a visual, audio, and/or tactile feedback, forexample. In certain instances, the processor 3036 can signal the user ofthe surgical instrument 3010 to replace the motor cartridge 3012 byflashing a backlight of the feedback screen 3046. In any event, theprocessor 3036 may provide the user with instructions to replace themotor cartridge 3012, as illustrated in FIG. 41.

Referring again to FIG. 41, in various instances, the instructionsprovided by the processor 3036 to the user to remove the motor accessdoor 3013 and/or to replace the motor cartridge 3012 may comprise one ormore steps; the steps may be presented to the user in a chronologicalorder. The steps may comprise actions to be performed by the user. Insuch instances, the user may proceed through the steps by performing theactions presented in each of the steps. In certain instances, theactions required in one or more of the steps can be presented to theuser in the form of animated images displayed on the feedback screen3046 (FIG. 36B), for example. In certain instances, one or more of thesteps can be presented to the user as messages which may include words,symbols, and/or images.

Further to the above, referring still to FIG. 41, the module 3050 mayinclude a decision-making step 3056 for detecting whether the motorcartridge 3012 has been replaced. In at least one instance, the user ofthe surgical instrument 3010 is requested to alert the processor 3036when the motor cartridge 3012 has been replaced using one or more of theuser feedback elements 3044, for example. Alternatively, as illustratedin FIG. 38, the processor 3036 can be operationally coupled to a motorcartridge replacement feedback element 3058 which can be configured toalert the processor 3036 when the motor cartridge 3012 is replaced. Inat least one instance, the motor cartridge replacement feedback element3058 includes one or more sensors and/or switches which can be triggeredwhen the motor cartridge 3012 is removed and/or replaced to alert theprocessor 36 when the motor cartridge 3012 has been removed and/orreplaced.

In at least one instance, the motor cartridge replacement feedbackelement 3058 includes a pressure sensor positioned at the interface 3021between the surgical instrument 3010 and the motor cartridge 3012. Theprocessor 3036 can be configured to employ the pressure sensor of themotor cartridge replacement feedback element 3058 to detect when themotor cartridge 3012 has been removed and/or replaced. In at least oneinstance, the processor 3036 can be configured to employ the pressuresensor of the motor cartridge replacement feedback element 3058 todetect a threshold-setting pressure reading when the motor cartridge3012 is installed with the surgical instrument 3010. Thethreshold-setting pressure reading can be used to set a predeterminedthreshold which can be stored in the memory 3038. Alternatively, thepredetermined threshold can be calculated and stored in the memory 3036independent of any readings obtained by the pressure sensor.

Further to the above, the processor 3036 can be configured to concludethat an installed motor cartridge 3012 has been removed when one or morepressure readings detected by the pressure sensor of the motor cartridgereplacement feedback element 3058 are less than or equal to thepredetermined threshold. The processor 3036 can also be configured toconclude that a replacement motor cartridge 3012 has been installed whensubsequent pressure readings detected by the pressure sensor of themotor cartridge replacement feedback element 3058 become greater than orequal to the predetermined threshold, for example.

Further to the above, still referring to FIG. 41, once it is determinedthat the motor cartridge 3012 has been replaced, the processor 3036 canbe configured to instruct the user to reinstall the motor access door3013. Upon subsequent detection that the motor access door 3013 has beeninstalled, the processor 3036 can be configured to allow powertransmission to the installed replacement motor cartridge 3012. Incertain instances, the processor 3036 is further configured to employone or more of the user feedback elements 3044 to alert the use ofsuccessful installation of the replacement motor cartridge 3012 and/orthat the surgical instrument 3010 is now ready to continue with variousclinical algorithms.

In various instances, the motor access door 3013 can be replaced with amotor access member or a motor securement member configured to securethe motor cartridge 3012 to the handle housing 102. Alternatively, themotor access door 3013 can be removed completely or integrated into thehousing 3014 of the motor cartridge 3012 such that the motor cartridge3012 can be readily removed or separated from the surgical instrument3010 by pulling or retracting the motor cartridge 3012 away from thehandle housing 102, for example. In at least one instance, in theabsence of a motor access door, an outer wall 3059 (FIG. 37) of thehousing 3014 of the motor cartridge 3012 can be configured to form aportion of an outer wall of the handle housing 102 of the surgicalinstrument 3010 when the motor cartridge 3012 is installed with thesurgical instrument 3010. In such instances, the outer wall 3059 mayinclude an attachment portion (not shown) that can be grabbed by a userof the surgical instrument and pulled to facilitate separating the motorcartridge 3012 from the handle housing 102, for example.

FIG. 42 depicts an example module 3060 which can be stored in the memory38, for example. The module 3060 is similar in many respects to themodule 3050. For example, the module 3060 can also be executed by theprocessor 3036, for example, to alert, guide, and/or provide feedback toa user of the surgical instrument 3010 with regard to replacing a motorcartridge 3012; however, the module 3060 is implemented when the a motoraccess door feature is not used.

As illustrated in FIG. 41, the module 3050 is executed by the processor3036 to provide the user with instructions as to how to replace a motorcartridge 3012, for example. In various instances, the module 3050 maycomprise one or more decision-making steps such as, for example, adecision-making step 3052 with regard to the detection of one or moreerrors requiring replacement of the motor cartridge 3012. In at leastone instance, as described above in greater detail, the processor 3036is configured to detect an error requiring replacement of the motorcartridge 3012 when the current draw of the motor cartridge 3012, whilethe actuator 3042 is activated, is outside a predetermined range, forexample.

Like the module 3050, the module 3060 also includes one or moredecision-making steps such as, for example, the decision-making step3052 with regard to the detection of one or more errors requiringreplacement of the motor cartridge 3012. When the processor 3036 detectsan error in the decision-making step 3052, the processor 3036 mayrespond by stopping and/or disabling the motor 3016, for example. Inaddition, in certain instances, the processor 3036 also may store adamaged status of the motor cartridge 3012 in the memory 3038 afterdetecting the motor cartridge error, as illustrated in FIG. 42.

Further to the above, when the processor 3036 detects a motor cartridgeerror, the processor 3036 can signal the user to replace the motorcartridge 3012 by providing the user with a visual, audio, and/ortactile feedback, for example. In certain instances, the processor 3036can signal the user of the surgical instrument 3010 to replace the motorcartridge 3012 by flashing a backlight of the feedback screen 3046. Inany event, the processor 36 may provide the user with instructions toreplace the motor cartridge 3012, as illustrated in FIG. 42.Furthermore, the module 3060 includes the decision-making step 3056 fordetecting whether the motor cartridge 3012 has been replaced, asdescribe above in greater detail. In addition, once it is determinedthat the motor cartridge 3012 has been replaced, the processor 3036 canbe configured to allow power transmission to the installed replacementmotor cartridge 3012. The processor 3036 can be further configured toemploy one or more of the user feedback elements 3044 to alert the userof successful installation of the replacement motor cartridge 3012.

Referring to FIGS. 43-44, a surgical instrument 4010 is depicted. Thesurgical instrument 4010 is similar in many respects to the surgicalinstrument 100. For example, the surgical instrument 4010 is configuredfor selective connection with the end effector or single use loadingunit or reload 300 via the adapter 200. Also, the surgical instrument4010 includes a handle housing 102 that includes a lower housing portion104, an intermediate housing portion 106, and an upper housing portion108.

Like the surgical instrument 100, the surgical instrument 4010 includesa drive mechanism 160 which is configured to drive shafts and/or gearcomponents in order to perform the various operations of surgicalinstrument 4010. In at least one instance, the drive mechanism 160includes a rotation drivetrain 4012 (See FIG. 44) configured to rotateend effector 300 about a longitudinal axis “X” (see FIG. 2) relative tohandle housing 102. The drive mechanism 160 further includes a closuredrivetrain 4014 (See FIG. 44) configured to move the anvil assembly 306relative to the cartridge assembly 308 of the end effector 300 tocapture tissue therebetween. In addition, the drive mechanism 160includes a firing drivetrain 4016 (See FIG. 44) configured to fire astapling and cutting cartridge within the cartridge assembly 308 of theend effector 300.

As described above, referring primarily to FIGS. 7, 8, and 44, the drivemechanism 160 includes a selector gearbox assembly 162 that can belocated immediately proximal relative to adapter 200. Proximal to theselector gearbox assembly 162 is the function selection module 163 whichincludes the first motor 164 that functions to selectively move gearelements within the selector gearbox assembly 162 to selectivelyposition one of the drivetrains 4012, 4014, and 4016 into engagementwith the input drive component 165 of the second motor 166.

Referring to FIG. 44, the motors 164 and 166 are coupled to motorcontrol circuits 4018 and 4018′, respectively, which are configured tocontrol the operation of the motors 164 and 166 including the flow ofelectrical energy from a power source 156 to the motors 164 and 166. Thepower source 156 may be a DC battery (e.g., rechargeable lead-based,nickel-based, lithium-ion based, battery etc.), an AC/DC transformer, orany other power source suitable for providing electrical energy to thesurgical instrument 4010.

The surgical instrument 4010 further includes a microcontroller 4020(“controller”). In certain instances, the controller 4020 may include amicroprocessor 4036 (“processor”) and one or more computer readablemediums or memory units 4038 (“memory”). In certain instances, thememory 4038 may store various program instructions, which when executedmay cause the processor 4036 to perform a plurality of functions and/orcalculations described herein. The power source 156 can be configured tosupply power to the controller 4020, for example.

The processor 4036 can be in communication with the motor controlcircuit 4018. In addition, the memory 4038 may store programinstructions, which when executed by the processor 4036 in response to auser input 4034, may cause the motor control circuit 4018 to motivatethe motor 164 to generate at least one rotational motion to selectivelymove gear elements within the selector gearbox assembly 162 toselectively position one of the drivetrains 4012, 4014, and 4016 intoengagement with the input drive component 165 of the second motor 166.Furthermore, the processor 4036 can be in communication with the motorcontrol circuit 4018′. The memory 4038 may also store programinstructions, which when executed by the processor 4036 in response to auser input 4034, may cause the motor control circuit 4018′ to motivatethe motor 166 to generate at least one rotational motion to drive thedrivetrain engaged with the input drive component 165 of the secondmotor 166, for example.

The controller 4020 and/or other controllers of the present disclosuremay be implemented using integrated and/or discrete hardware elements,software elements, and/or a combination of both. Examples of integratedhardware elements may include processors, microprocessors,microcontrollers, integrated circuits, ASICs, PLDs, DSPs, FPGAs, logicgates, registers, semiconductor devices, chips, microchips, chip sets,microcontrollers, SoC, and/or SIP. Examples of discrete hardwareelements may include circuits and/or circuit elements such as logicgates, field effect transistors, bipolar transistors, resistors,capacitors, inductors, and/or relays. In certain instances, thecontroller 4020 may include a hybrid circuit comprising discrete andintegrated circuit elements or components on one or more substrates, forexample.

In certain instances, the controller 4020 and/or other controllers ofthe present disclosure may be an LM 4F230H5QR, available from TexasInstruments, for example. In certain instances, the Texas InstrumentsLM4F230H5QR is an ARM Cortex-M4F Processor Core comprising on-chipmemory of 256 KB single-cycle flash memory, or other non-volatilememory, up to 40 MHz, a prefetch buffer to improve performance above 40MHz, a 32 KB single-cycle SRAM, internal ROM loaded with StellarisWare®software, 2 KB EEPROM, one or more PWM modules, one or more QEI analog,one or more 12-bit ADC with 12 analog input channels, among otherfeatures that are readily available. Other microcontrollers may bereadily substituted for use with the present disclosure. Accordingly,the present disclosure should not be limited in this context.

In various instances, one or more of the various steps described hereincan be performed by a finite state machine comprising either acombinational logic circuit or a sequential logic circuit, where eitherthe combinational logic circuit or the sequential logic circuit iscoupled to at least one memory circuit. The at least one memory circuitstores a current state of the finite state machine. The combinational orsequential logic circuit is configured to cause the finite state machineto the steps. The sequential logic circuit may be synchronous orasynchronous. In other instances, one or more of the various stepsdescribed herein can be performed by a circuit that includes acombination of the processor 4036 and the finite state machine, forexample.

In various instances, it can be advantageous to be able to assess thestate of the functionality of a surgical instrument to ensure its properfunction. It is possible, for example, for the drive mechanism, asexplained above, which is configured to include various motors,drivetrain, and/or gear components in order to perform the variousoperations of the surgical instrument 4010, to wear out over time. Thiscan occur through normal use, and in some instances the drive mechanismcan wear out faster due to abuse conditions. In certain instances, asurgical instrument 4010 can be configured to perform self-assessmentsto determine the state, e.g. health, of the drive mechanism and itvarious components.

For example, the self-assessment can be used to determine when thesurgical instrument 4010 is capable of performing its function before are-sterilization or when some of the components should be replacedand/or repaired. Assessment of the drive mechanism and its components,including but not limited to the rotation drivetrain 4012, the closuredrivetrain 4014, and/or the firing drivetrain 4016, can be accomplishedin a variety of ways. The magnitude of deviation from a predictedperformance can be used to determine the likelihood of a sensed failureand the severity of such failure. Several metrics can be used including:Periodic analysis of repeatably predictable events, Peaks or drops thatexceed an expected threshold, and width of the failure.

In various instances, a signature waveform of a properly functioningdrive mechanism or one or more of its components can be employed toassess the state of the drive mechanism or the one or more of itscomponents. One or more vibration sensors can be arranged with respectto a properly functioning drive mechanism or one or more of itscomponents to record various vibrations that occur during operation ofthe properly functioning drive mechanism or the one or more of itscomponents. The recorded vibrations can be employed to create thesignature waveform. Future waveforms can be compared against thesignature waveform to assess the state of the drive mechanism and itscomponents.

In at least one aspect, the principles of acoustics can be employed toassess the state of the drive mechanism and its components. As usedherein, the term acoustics refers generally to all mechanical waves ingases, liquids, and solids including vibration, sound, ultrasound (soundwaves with frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of humanhearing), and infrasound (low-frequency sound, lower in frequency than20 Hz [hertz] or cycles per second, hence lower than the “normal” limitof human hearing). Accordingly, acoustic emissions from the drivemechanism and its components may be detected with acoustic sensorsincluding vibration, sound, ultrasound, and infrasound sensors. In oneaspect, the vibratory frequency signature of a drive mechanism 160 canbe analyzed to determine the state of one or more of the drivetrains4012, 4014, and/or 4016. One or more vibration sensors can be coupled toone or more of the drivetrains 4012, 4014, and/or 4016 in order torecord the acoustic output of the drivetrains when in use.

Referring again to FIG. 44, the surgical instrument 4010 includes adrivetrain failure detection module 4040 configured to record andanalyze one or more acoustic outputs of one or more of the drivetrains4012, 4014, and/or 4016. The processor 4036 can be in communication withor otherwise control the module 4040. As described below in greaterdetail, the module 4040 can be embodied as various means, such ascircuitry, hardware, a computer program product comprising a computerreadable medium (for example, the memory 4038) storing computer readableprogram instructions that are executable by a processing device (forexample, the processor 4036), or some combination thereof. In someaspects, the processor 4036 can include, or otherwise control the module4040.

The module 4040 may include one or more sensors 4042 can be employed bythe module 4040 to detect drivetrain failures of the surgical instrument4010. In at least one instance, as illustrated in FIG. 45, the sensors4042 may comprise one or more acoustic sensors or microphones, forexample. In at least one instance, as illustrated in FIG. 48, thesensors 4042 may comprise one or more accelerometers.

Various types of filters and transforms can be used on the output of asensor 4042 to generate a waveform that represents the operational stateof a drivetrain, for example, of the surgical instrument 4010. Asillustrated in FIG. 45, a plurality of Band-pass filters can beconfigured to communicate with a sensor 4042 in order to process anoutput thereof. In the example shown in FIG. 45, there are fourBand-pass filters, BPF1, BPF2, BPF3, and BPF4, used to filter the outputof the sensor 4042. These filters are used to determine the variousthresholds used to assess the health of a surgical instrument 4010,including acceptable limits, marginal limits, and critical limits, forexample. In one example, a series of low pass filters as illustrated inFIG. 48 can be used on the output of the sensor 4042.

In one aspect, as illustrated in FIG. 45, logic gates can be employedwith the filters to process the output of the sensors 4042.Alternatively, a processor such as, for example, the processor 4036 canbe employed with the filters to process the output of the sensors 4042,as illustrated in FIGS. 48 and 48A. FIGS. 48B, 48C, and 48D depict anexample structure and operational details of a Band-pass filter used tofilter the output of the sensor 4042. In at least one instance, one ormore of the filters employed in filtering the output the sensor 4042 isa Dual Low-Noise JFET-Input General-Purpose Operational Amplifier.

While various frequencies can be used, the exemplary frequencies of thefilters shown in FIG. 45 are 5 kHz, 1 kHz, 200 Hz, and 50 Hz. The outputof each filter is shown in FIG. 49, which illustrates the voltageamplitude at the frequency of each filter. The peak amplitude of theoutput of each filter is shown in FIG. 50. These values can be used todetermine the health of the surgical instrument 4010 by comparisonagainst threshold values stored in the memory 4038, for example. Asillustrated in FIG. 48, a multiplexer 4044 and an analogue to digitalconverter 4046 can be employed to communicate the output of the filtersto the processor 4036.

In at least one instance, an output of a sensor 4042 can be recordedwhen a motor is running during a known function having repeatablemovement. For example, the output can be recorded when the motor 166 isrunning to retract or reset a drivetrain such as, for example the firingdrivetrain 4016 to an original or starting position. The recorded outputof the sensor 4042 can be used to develop a signature waveform of thatmovement. In one example, the recorded output of the sensor 4402 is runthrough a fast Fourier transform to develop the signature waveform.

Further to the above, the amplitude of key regions of the resultingsignature waveform can be compared to predetermined values stored in thememory 4038, for example. In at least one instance, the memory 4038 mayinclude program instructions which, when executed by the processor 4036,may cause the processor 4036 to compare the amplitudes of the keyregions to the predetermined values stored in the memory 4038. When theamplitudes exceed those stored values, the processor 4036 determinesthat one or more components of the surgical instrument 4010 is no longerfunctioning properly and/or that the surgical instrument 4010 hasreached the end of its usable life.

FIG. 46 illustrates a vibratory response from a drivetrain that isfunctioning properly. The output in volts from a microphone that ispositioned on or in close proximity to the drivetrain is recorded overtime. The frequency response of that output is determined using a fastFourier transform, as shown in FIG. 46A, to develop a signature waveformfor a properly functioning drivetrain. The signature waveform of theproperly functioning drivetrain can be employed to detect anymalfunction in the same drivetrain or other similar drivetrain. Forexample, FIG. 47 illustrates a vibratory response from a drivetrain thatis not functioning properly. The microphone output is used to determinethe frequency response of the malfunctioning drivetrain, as illustratedin FIG. 47A. The deviation of the frequency response of themalfunctioning drivetrain from the signature waveform of the properlyfunctioning drivetrain indicates a malfunction in the drivetrain.

In at least one instance, stored values of key regions of a frequencyresponse of a properly functioning drivetrain, as shown in FIG. 47A, arecompared against recorded values of corresponding regions of a frequencyresponse of an examined drivetrain, as shown in FIG. 48A. In the eventthe stored values are exceeded by the recorded values, it can beconcluded that a malfunction is detected in the examined drivetrain. Inresponse, various safety and remedial steps can be taken as described ingreater detail in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/984,525, titled MECHANISMS FOR COMPENSATING FOR DRIVETRAIN FAILURE INPOWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, and filed Dec. 30, 2015, which isincorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

There can be various stages of operation of the surgical instrument 4010as the components are moved to effect a function at an end effector ofthe surgical instrument 4010 such as, for example capturing tissue,firing staples into the captured tissue, and/or cutting the capturedtissue. The vibrations generated by the drive mechanism 160 of thesurgical instrument 4010 can vary depending on the stage of operation ofthe surgical instrument 4010. Certain vibrations can be uniquelyassociated with certain stages of operation of the surgical instrument4010. Accordingly, taking into consideration the stage or zone ofoperation of the surgical instrument 4010 allows for selectivelyanalyzing the vibrations that are associated with that stage or zone ofoperation while ignoring other vibrations that are not relevant to thatstage or zone of operation. Various sensors such as, for example,position sensors can be employed by the processor 4036 to determine thestage of operation of the surgical instrument 4010.

In one example, various stages of operation of the instrument 4010 arerepresented in the graph of FIG. 51, which illustrates the force neededto fire (FTF) the surgical instrument 4010 in relation to a displacementposition of the drive assembly 360 from a starting or original positionduring a firing sequence or stroke of the surgical instrument 4010. Inzone 1, an end effector 300 of the surgical instrument 4010 has clampedonto tissue, as described above, but has not affected the tissue. Inzone 2, a load is being applied to move an actuation sled of thesurgical instrument 4010 to allow the end effector 300 to affect thetissue by, for example, cutting and stapling the tissue. In zone 3, thetissue has been cut and stapled by the end effector 300 of the surgicalinstrument 4010. Depending on which zone the surgical instrument 4010 isin during capture and processing of the vibrations made by the variousdrivetrains, the vibrations can either be compared to thresholdfrequency values or can be disregarded or not considered. For vibrationscaptured by a sensor 4042 in block 4048 and block 4050 of FIG. 51,certain portions of the captured vibrations can be disregarded or notconsidered for the purposes of determining the health of the surgicalinstrument 4010.

In at least one instance, any vibrations captured below the thresholdline 4052 can be disregarded or not considered. In at least oneinstance, the ratio of the minimum threshold 4052 to a maximum FTFduring a firing sequence or stroke of the surgical instrument 4010 isany value selected from a range of about 0.001 to about 0.30, forexample. In at least one instance, the ratio is any value selected froma range of about 0.01 to about 0.20, for example. In at least oneinstance, the ratio is any value selected from a range of about 0.01 toabout 0.10, for example.

In addition, any vibrations captured within the block 4048 and block4050 can also be disregarded or not considered as long as the eventswithin those blocks are not a catastrophic event. In the event of acatastrophic failure, a drive mechanism 160 is rendered inoperable, andcertain bailout steps are taken to ensure, among other things, a safedetachment of the surgical instrument 4010 from the tissue beingtreated. Alternatively, In the event of an acute drivetrain failure, thedrivetrain may still be operated to complete a surgical step or to resetthe surgical instrument 4010; however, certain precautionary and/orsafety steps can be taken to avoid or minimize additional damage to thedrivetrain and/or other components of the surgical instrument 4010.

Referring again to FIG. 51, in at least one instance, vibrationsdetected at the beginning and/or the end of the firing stroke of thesurgical instrument 4010 are disregarded or not considered for thepurposes of assessing a damage/function status of the surgicalinstrument 4010. In one example, only vibrations detected at a centralsegment of the firing stroke of the surgical instrument 4010 areconsidered for the purposes of assessing a damage/function status of thesurgical instrument 4010. In at least one instance, vibrations detectedat the beginning of zone 1 and/or at the end of 2 one 2 of the firingstroke of the surgical instrument 4010, as illustrated in FIG. 51, aredisregarded or not considered for the purposes of assessing adamage/function status of the surgical instrument 4010.

A limited increase in noise could indicate increased wear or anon-catastrophic failure of parts of the gears, for example. Asignificant increase in the magnitude of the noise in chronic fashioncould indicate continuing erosion of the transmission but could be usedto predict the life of the instrument 4010 and it performancedegradation allowing the completion of certain jobs, for example. Anacute dramatic increase in magnitude or number of peaks could indicate asubstantial or catastrophic failure causing the instrument to initiatemore immediate and final reaction options, for example.

FIG. 52 illustrates the velocity of the drive assembly 360 of thesurgical instrument 4010 in relation to a displacement position of thedrive assembly 360 from a starting or original position. Point A, shownin FIGS. 51 and 52, represents an initial contact with tissue,increasing the force to advance the drive assembly 360 of the surgicalinstrument 4010, as shown in FIG. 51, and decreasing the velocity ofdrive assembly 360, as shown in FIG. 52. Point B, also shown in FIGS. 51and 52, represents a contact with the thickest portion of the tissueduring the stapling and cutting. Accordingly, the FTF at point B is atmaximum, as shown in FIG. 51, and the velocity at point B is at itslowest point, as shown in FIG. 52. One or more sensors such as, forexample, force sensors can be configured to measure the FTF as the driveassembly 360 is advanced. In addition, one or more position sensors canbe configured to detect the position of the drive assembly 360 during afiring sequence of the surgical instrument 4010.

In at least one instance, the memory 4038 includes program instructionswhich, when executed by the processor 4036, causes the processor 4036 toemploy one or more sensors 4042 positioned near one or more componentsof the drive mechanism 160 of the surgical instrument 4010 toselectively capture or record vibrations generated by the one or morecomponents of the drive mechanism 160 during a predetermined section ofthe firing sequence. In at least one instance, the sensors 4042 areactivated by the processor 4036 at a starting point of the predeterminedsection and deactivated at an end point of the predetermined section ofthe firing sequence or stroke so that the sensors 4042 may only captureor record vibrations generated by during the predetermined section.

The predetermined section may have a starting point after the firingsequence is begun and an end point before the firing sequence iscompleted. Said another way, the processor 4036 is configured to causethe sensors 4042 to only record vibrations at a central section of thefiring sequence. As illustrated in FIG. 52, the processor 4036 can beconfigured to cause the sensors 4042 to start capturing or recordingvibrations during a downward slope of the velocity of the drive assembly360, and stop recording vibrations during an upward slope of thevelocity of the drive assembly 360. Alternatively, the sensors 4042 canbe active during the entire firing sequence of the surgical instrument4010 while the processor 4036 ignores or excludes vibrations recordedoutside the predetermined section of the firing sequence or stroke.

FIG. 53 illustrates acceptable limit modifications based on the zone ofthe stroke location. Limit profiles for both zone 1 and zone 2 areshown. The threshold limits for zone 2 are higher than zone 1 due to theload of the tissue on the surgical instrument 4010. As the velocity ofthe instrument decreases as the instrument moves from zone 1 to zone 2,the power spectrum will shift down in frequency. As shown in FIG. 54,which represents voltage amplitude versus frequency at various bandwidthrepresented by the filters shown in FIG. 48 for points A and B of FIGS.51 and 52, the frequency lines associated with point B for each filterbandwidth are lower than the frequency lines associated with point A dueto the load on the instrument 4010 from the tissue at point B and thevelocity change due to the stroke zone.

Thus, these limits can be used to assess potential damage to thesurgical instrument 4010. Using the captured vibrations from the variousdrivetrains of the surgical instrument 4010, the vibrations can beprocessed using the processor 4036 shown in FIG. 45 to determine whenthe frequency of the vibrations is above certain threshold values storedin memory 4038 associated with the processor 4036 while taking intoaccount the zone of operation of the surgical instrument 4010 during thetime of the capture of the vibrations. When the surgical instrument 4010is determined to be defective in some way, the instrument 4010 can berepaired or replaced before sterilization or its subsequent use. Variousother safety and/or remedial steps can also be taken.

In another aspect, the magnitude of the noise produced by the surgicalinstrument 4010 can be compared to predefined system harmonics to assesspotential damage to the surgical instrument 4010, and the severity ofthat damage. As shown in FIG. 55, the output from the sensor 4042 fromone or more drivetrains of the surgical instrument 4010 is presented asa voltage signal for zone 1, for example. Each frequency, as capturedduring the processing of the signal through the filters, such as thoseshown in FIG. 48, can have its own threshold profile.

For example, as shown in FIG. 55, each frequency may have its ownacceptable limit 4054, marginal limit 4056, and critical limit 4058 foreach zone of operation of the surgical instrument 4010. Based on theexample shown in FIG. 55, all the frequencies are acceptable andrepresent a properly functioning surgical instrument 4010 except for thefrequency represented by A′. In at least one instance, this causes aprocessor, such as the processor 4036 shown in FIG. 48, to conclude thatan acute but not catastrophic drivetrain failure had occurred.

Further to the above, in at least one instance, the processor 4036 isconfigured to conclude that a catastrophic drivetrain failure hadoccurred when any one frequency is equal to or exceeds the criticallimit 4058. Alternatively, the processor 4036 may be configured toconclude that a catastrophic drivetrain failure had occurred only when aplurality of frequencies is equal to or exceeds the critical limit 4058,for example. Alternatively, the processor 4036 may be configured toconclude that a catastrophic drivetrain failure had occurred only whenall frequencies, as captured during the processing of the signal throughthe filters, are equal to or exceed the critical limit 4058, forexample.

Further to the above, in at least one instance, the processor 4036 isconfigured to conclude that an acute drivetrain failure had occurredwhen any one frequency is equal to or exceeds the marginal limit 4056but is below the critical limit 4058, as illustrated in FIG. 55.Alternatively, the processor 4036 may be configured to conclude that anacute drivetrain failure had occurred only when a plurality offrequencies is equal to or exceeds the marginal limit 4056 but below thecritical limit 4058, for example. Alternatively, the processor 4036 maybe configured to conclude that an acute drivetrain failure had occurredonly when all frequencies, as captured during the processing of thesignal through the filters, are equal to or exceed the marginal limit4056 but below the critical limit 4058, for example.

Referring to FIG. 56, a logic diagram 4021 represents possibleoperations that can be implemented by the surgical instrument 4010 inresponse to detected drivetrain failures. The memory 4038 may includeprogram instructions, which when executed by the processor 4036, maycause the processor 4036 to assess the severity of a drivetrain failurebased on input from the sensors 4042, and activate appropriate responsesdepending on the determined severity. The memory 4038 may includeprogram instructions, which when executed by the processor 4036, maycause the processor 4036 to respond to a detected 4023 acute drivetrainfailure by activating a safe mode 4022 of operation, for example. Inaddition, the memory 4038 may include program instructions, which whenexecuted by the processor 4036, may cause the processor 4036 to respondto a detected catastrophic drivetrain failure by activating a recoveryor bailout mode 4022. When no drivetrain failures are detected, theprocessor 4036 may permit the surgical instrument 4010 to continue 4027with normal operations until a drivetrain failure is detected.

Referring again to FIG. 56, the safe mode 4022 may comprise one or moresteps such as, for example, a motor modulation step which can beemployed by the processor 4036 to limit the speed of an activedrivetrain. For example, when the firing drivetrain 4016 is beingactively driven by the motor 166 during a firing sequence, a detectionof an acute drivetrain failure by the module 4040 may cause theprocessor 4036 to communicate to the motor drive circuit 4018′ (FIG. 44)instructions to cause the mechanical output of the motor 166 to bereduced. A reduction in the mechanical output of the motor 166 reducesthe speed of the active drivetrain 4016 which ensures safe completion ofthe firing sequence and/or resetting of the active drivetrain 4016 to anoriginal or starting positon.

In another aspect, a frequency comparison of a cumulative magnitude ofnoise with respect to a predetermined minimum and/or maximum thresholdis used to assess potential damage to the surgical instrument 4010. Inat least one instance, a minimum threshold defines an acceptable limit4054. A cumulative magnitude of noise that is below the minimumthreshold is construed by the processor 4036 as an acceptable limit4054. In addition, a maximum threshold can be employed to define acritical limit 4058. A cumulative magnitude of noise that is above theminimum threshold is construed by the processor 4036 as a critical limit4058. A marginal limit 4056 can be defined by the minimum and maximumthresholds. In one example, a cumulative magnitude of noise that isabove the minimum threshold but below the maximum threshold is construedby the processor 4036 as a marginal limit 4056.

FIG. 57 is a representation of a processed signal of the output of asensor 4042 that was filtered by four Band-pass filters, BPF1, BPF2,BPF3, and BPF4. The processed signal is represented within frequencybandwidths a₁, a₂, a₃, and a₄ that correspond to the bandwidths of thefour Band-pass filters, BPF1, BPF2, BPF3, and BPF4.

FIG. 57 illustrates a graph of voltage amplitude versus frequency of theprocessed signal. The peal voltage amplitudes of the processed signal atthe center frequencies of the Band-pass filters, BPF1, BPF2, BPF3, andBPF4 are represented by solid vertical lines A, A′, A″, and A′″,respectively. In addition, a baseline threshold value 4060 is used toallow for a predictable amount of noise to be disregarded or notconsidered. Additional noise can be either taken into consideration ordisregarded depending on where it falls in the frequency spectrum.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 57, the voltage amplitude Z2 isdiscounted as it is below the baseline threshold value 4060 thatrepresented an acceptable level of noise, and Z4 is discounted as itfalls outside the predetermined bandwidths a₁, a₂, a₃, and a₄. As Z, Z1,and Z3 fall above the baseline threshold value 4060 and are within thepredetermined bandwidths a1, a2, a3, and a4, these voltage amplitudesare considered with A, A′, A″, and A′″ in defining the cumulativemagnitude of noise and, in turn, determining the potential damage to theinstrument 4010.

In at least one instance, the Voltage amplitude values at the centerfrequencies A, A′, A″, and A′″ are summed to generate the cumulativemagnitude of noise, as represented by voltage amplitude, that is thenemployed to assess whether a failure had occurred, and when so, theseverity of that failure. In another instance, the Voltage amplitudevalues at the center frequencies A, A′, A″, and A′″ and any voltageamplitude within the predetermined bandwidths a1, a2, a3, and a4 aresummed to generate the cumulative magnitude of noise, as represented byvoltage amplitude, that is then employed to assess whether a failure hadoccurred, and when so, the severity of that failure. In anotherinstance, the Voltage amplitude values at the center frequencies A, A′,A″, and A′″ and any voltage amplitude values greater than the baselinethreshold value 4060 and within the predetermined bandwidths a1, a2, a3,and a4 are summed to generate the cumulative magnitude of noise, asrepresented by voltage amplitude, that is then employed to assesswhether a failure had occurred, and when so, the severity of thatfailure.

In various instances, a comparison between a present noise signal and apreviously recorded noise signal, which may be stored in the memory4038, can be employed by the processor 4036 to determine adamage/function status of the surgical instrument 4010. A noise signalthat is recorded by the sensor 4042 during a normal operation of thesurgical instrument 4010 can be filtered and processed by the processor4036 to generate normal processed signal that is stored in the memory4038. Any new noise signal recorded by the sensor 4042 can be filteredand processed in the same manner as the normal noise signal to generatea present processed signal which can be compared to normal processedsignal stored in the memory 4038.

A deviation between the present processed signature and the normalprocessed signal beyond a predetermined threshold can be construed aspotential damage to the surgical instrument 4010. The normal processedsignal can be set the first time the instrument is used, for example.Alternatively, a present processed signal becomes the normal processedsignal against the next present processed signal.

FIG. 58 is a representation of two processed signals of the output of asensor 4042 that was filtered by four Band-pass filters, BPF1, BPF2,BPF3, and BPF4. The processed signals are represented within frequencybandwidths a₁, a_(z), a₃, and a₄ that correspond to the bandwidths ofthe four Band-pass filters, BPF1, BPF2, BPF3, and BPF4. FIG. 58illustrates a graph of voltage amplitude versus frequency of theprocessed signal.

The voltage amplitudes of the normal and present processed signals arerepresented by solid vertical lines. The normal processed signal is inthe solid lines while the present processed signal is in the dashedlines represents a present/current processed signal, as described above.There is a baseline threshold value 4060 that is used to allow for apredictable amount of noise to be disregarded, similar to the baselinethreshold 4060 of FIG. 57. The difference between the two iterations arecalculated and shown as δ1, δ2, and δ3 in FIG. 58. There are variousthreshold values that are compared to the various δ values to determinethe damage of the surgical instrument 4010, indicating an acceptable δ,a marginal δ, or a critical δ that would indicate the need to replace orrepair the instrument 4010.

In at least one instance, one or more voltage amplitudes are compared tocorresponding voltage amplitudes in a previously recorded noise patternto assess any damage of the surgical instrument 4010. The differencebetween a present voltage amplitude and a previously-stored voltageamplitude can be compared against one or more predetermined thresholds,which can be stored in the memory 4038, to select an output of anacceptable, marginal, or critical status.

In at least one instance, the differences between the present voltageamplitudes and the previously stored voltage amplitudes are summed andcompared to one or more predetermined thresholds stored in the memory4038, for example, to select an output of an acceptable, marginal, orcritical status. Magnitude of deviance could be compared range to rangeto indicate shear change in a local event.

In various instances, one or more algorisms, which may be stored in thememory 4038, can be employed by the processor 4036 to determine adamage/function status of the surgical instrument 4010 based on theprocessed signal of the output of the sensor 4042. Different noisesignals that are recorded by the sensor 4042 can be construed torepresent different damage/function statuses of the surgical instrument4010. During normal operation, a normal or expected noise signal isrecorded by the sensor 4042. When an abnormal noise signal is recordedby the sensor 4042, it can be further evaluated by the processor 4036,using one or more of the algorisms stored in the memory 4038, todetermine a damage/function status of the surgical instrument 4010. Theabnormal signal may comprise unique characteristics that can be used toassess the nature of the damage to the surgical instrument 4010. Forexample, the unique characteristics of the abnormal signal may beindicative of damage to a particular component of the surgicalinstrument 4010, which can be readily replaced.

In certain instances, one or more algorisms are configured to assessnormal wear in one or more components of the surgical instrument 4010based on the processed signal of the output of the sensor 4042. Normalwear can be detected by identifying a noise signal indicative ofpotential debris, for example. When the debris, as measured by itsrecorded noise signs, reaches or exceeds a predetermined thresholdstored in the memory 4038, for example, the processor 4036 can beconfigured to issue an alert that surgical instrument 4010 is nearingthe end of its life or requires maintenance, for example.

Furthermore, one or more algorisms can be configured to determinepotential damage to one or more gear mechanisms such as, for example, aplanet gear mechanism within the drive mechanism 160 based on theprocessed signal of the output of a sensor 4042. During normaloperation, the planet gear may produce a normal noise signal as recordedby the sensor 4042. When the planet gear is damaged due to a brokentooth, for example, an abnormal noise signal is recorded by the sensor4042. The abnormal signal may comprise unique characteristics indicativeof a damaged planet gear, for example.

FIG. 59 is a representation of a processed signal of the output of asensor 4042 that was filtered by four Band-pass filters, BPF1, BPF2,BPF3, and BPF4. The processed signal is represented within frequencybandwidths a₁, a₂, a₃, and a₁ that correspond to the bandwidths of thefour Band-pass filters, BPF1, BPF2, BPF3, and BPF4. Various algorisms,as described above, can be applied to the processed signal of FIG. 59 todetermine a damage/function status of the surgical instrument 4010.

Like FIG. 57, FIG. 59 illustrates a graph of voltage amplitude versusfrequency of the processed signal. The voltage amplitudes of theprocessed signal are represented by solid vertical lines. Within each ofthe bandwidths a₁, a₂, a₃, and a₁, the processed signal is evaluatedwithin an expected range defined by an amplitude threshold and asub-bandwidth threshold. Expected ranges E₁, E₂, E₃, and E₄ correspondto the bandwidths a₁, a₂, a₃, and a₄, respectively.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 59, a first event indicative ofpotential planet damage is observed. The observed first event includes aprocessed signal that comprises two voltage amplitude readings that areindicative of potential planet damage. The two voltage amplitudereadings are a first voltage amplitude reading that exceeds the expectedrange E₁ at the center frequency of the bandwidth a₁, and a secondvoltage amplitude reading at a frequency that falls between but outsidethe bandwidths a₁ and a₂. A first algorism may be configured torecognize the observed event as indicative of potential planet damage.The processor 4036 may employ the first algorism to conclude thatpotential planet damage is detected.

Also, in the example illustrated in FIG. 59, a second event indicativeof a unique potential damage in connection with a hub of the surgicalinstrument 4010 is observed. The second event includes a processedsignal that comprises a voltage amplitude reading that falls below theexpected voltage amplitude threshold at the center frequency of thebandwidth a₂. In addition, the processed signal comprises voltageamplitude readings Z₁ and Z₂ that exceed the baseline threshold value4060, and are within the bandwidth a₂, but fall outside thesub-bandwidth threshold of the Expected range E₂. A second algorism maybe configured to recognize the observed second event as indicative of aunique potential damage. The processor 4036 may employ the secondalgorism to conclude that potential damage in connection with a hub ofthe surgical instrument 4010 is detected.

Also, in the example illustrated in FIG. 59, a third event indicative ofpotential debris indicative of wear associated with one or morecomponents of the surgical instrument 4010 is observed. The third eventincludes a processed signal that comprises a voltage amplitude readingthat exceeds the expected voltage amplitude threshold at the centerfrequency of the bandwidth a₄. A third algorism may be configured torecognize the observed third event as indicative of potential debris.The processor 4036 may employ the third algorism to evaluate theseverity of the potential debris based on the difference between theobserved voltage amplitude and the expected voltage amplitude threshold,for example.

Certain surgical stapling and cutting end effectors described hereininclude an elongate channel configured to removably receive a staplecartridge that has surgical staples stored therein. The staple cartridgeincludes ejectors, or drivers, movably supported within a cartridge bodyof the staple cartridge which are each configured to support one or morestaples thereon. The staple supporting drivers are arranged inlongitudinal rows within the cartridge body located on each side of alongitudinally-extending slot defined in the cartridge body. The slot isconfigured to movably accommodate a firing member that may have a tissuecutting edge thereon that serves to cut the tissue that has been clampedbetween the anvil and the staple cartridge. The drivers are urgedupwardly in the cartridge body, i.e., toward a deck of the cartridgebody, when they are contacted by a sled that is configured to be drivenlongitudinally through the cartridge body by the firing member. The sledis movably supported in the cartridge and includes a plurality of angledor wedge-shaped cams that correspond to lines of staple drivers withinthe cartridge body. In an unfired or “fresh” staple cartridge, the sledis positioned in a starting position that is proximal to the first, orproximal-most, staple drivers in each line. The sled is advanceddistally by the firing member during a firing stroke to eject thestaples from the cartridge body. Once the staple cartridge has been atleast partially fired, i.e., ejected from the cartridge body, the firingmember is retracted back to a beginning or unfired position and the sledremains at a distal end of the now-spent staple cartridge. Once thefiring member has been returned to the beginning or unfired position,the spent staple cartridge may be removed from the channel of the endeffector.

Further to the above, a surgical instrument system 19010 is illustratedin FIG. 60. The surgical instrument system 19010 comprises a handle19014 and a shaft assembly 19200 which is removably attachable to thehandle 19014. The shaft assembly 19200 comprises an end effector 19300including a cartridge channel 19302 and an anvil 19306 movable relativeto the cartridge channel 19302. A staple cartridge 19304 is removablypositioned in the cartridge channel 19302.

Such cutting and stapling end effectors are mounted to a distal end ofan elongate shaft assembly that operably supports various drive shaftsand components configured to apply various control motions to the endeffector. In various instances, a shaft assembly may include anarticulation joint or can be otherwise configured to facilitate thearticulation of the end effector relative to a portion of the elongateshaft when articulation motions are applied to the end effector. Theshaft assembly is coupled to a housing that supports various drivesystems that operably interface with various components in the elongateshaft assembly. In certain arrangements, the housing may comprise ahandheld housing or handle. In other arrangements, the housing maycomprise a portion of a robotic or automated surgical system. Thevarious drive systems of the housing may be configured to apply axialdrive motions, rotary drive motions, and/or combinations of axial androtary drive motions to the elongate shaft assembly. In handheldarrangements, the axial motions may be generated by one or moremanually-actuated handcranks and/or generated by one more electricmotors. The robotic system may employ electric motors and/or otherautomated drive arrangements that are configured to generate and applythe necessary control motions to the elongate shaft assembly and, insome cases, ultimately to the firing member in the end effector.

For surgical end effectors that require rotary control motions, theelongate shaft assembly may include a “proximal” rotary drive shaftportion that is rotated by a corresponding motor or other source ofrotary motion that is supported in the housing. The proximal rotarydrive shaft is configured to apply the rotary control motion to an endeffector drive shaft that is supported in the end effector. In sucharrangements, the firing member interfaces with the end effector driveshaft such that the firing member may be longitudinally advanced throughthe end effector and then returned to the unfired position.

When using surgical instruments that are configured to cut and stapletissue, measures should be taken to ensure that an unspent surgicalstaple cartridge has been properly installed in the end effector of thesurgical instrument prior to actuating the firing drive system of thesurgical instrument. If a clinician were to inadvertently actuate atissue cutting member of the firing drive system without first havinginstalled an unspent staple cartridge in the end effector, for instance,the tissue cutting member may sever the tissue without stapling itSimilar problems could also arise if the clinician were to unwittinglyinstall a partially-spent staple cartridge into the end effector. Apartially-spent staple cartridge can be created when a staple cartridgeis used in a prior procedure, or a prior step in a procedure, and thenremoved from the end effector before all of the staples have beenejected therefrom. If such a partially-spent cartridge were to bere-used in the surgical instrument, the tissue cutting member may createan incision in the tissue that is longer than the staple lines that areapplied to the tissue. Thus, when using surgical end effectors that areconfigured to cut and staple tissue, it is desirable for the surgicalend effector to be configured to prevent the actuation of the tissuecutting member unless an unspent “fresh” staple cartridge has beenproperly installed in the end effector.

FIGS. 61 and 62 depict portions of a surgical cutting and stapling endeffector 20000 that may address such concerns. As can be seen in FIGS.61 and 62, the end effector 20000 includes a rotary end effector driveshaft 20010. Although not shown, the rotary end effector drive shaft20010 is rotatably supported within an elongate channel that isconfigured to removably support a surgical staple cartridge therein. Therotary end effector drive shaft 20010 is configured to receive rotarydrive motions from a proximal rotary drive shaft that is attached to thechannel or otherwise operably interfaces with the rotary end effectordrive shaft 20010. Rotary control motions may be applied to the proximalrotary drive shaft through a corresponding drive arrangement that maycomprise a motor or motors that are manually actuated or controlled by arobotic control system or other source(s) of rotary control motions. Inalternative arrangements, the rotary control motions may be manuallygenerated. Still referring to FIGS. 61 and 62, the surgical end effector20000 comprises a firing assembly 20020 that is configured forlongitudinal travel within the channel. In the illustrated embodiment,the firing assembly 20020 comprises an upper firing body 20022 that hasa distal firing lug 20024 and a proximal firing lug 20026. The distalfiring lug 20024 has an unthreaded hole (not shown) therein that isconfigured to receive the rotary end effector drive shaft 20010therethrough. The proximal firing lug 20026 is spaced from the distalfiring lug 20024 to define a nut cavity 20028 therebetween. The proximalfiring lug 20026 has an unthreaded hole 20027 therethrough that isconfigured to receive the rotary end effector drive shaft 20010therethrough.

As can be seen in FIGS. 61 and 62, the rotary end effector drive shaft20010 is threaded. The firing assembly 20020 comprises a travel nut20030 that is threadably journaled on the rotary end effector driveshaft 20010 and is located in the nut cavity 20028 between the distalfiring lug 20026 and proximal firing lug 20027. The travel nut 20040 ismovable within the nut cavity 20028 between a first position (FIG. 61)and a second position (FIG. 62). The travel nut 20040 includes an uppernotched portion 20042 that has a distally extending retainer tab 20044protruding therefrom. When the travel nut 20040 is in the firstposition, the notched upper portion 20042 is in vertical alignment withthe upper firing body 20022 of the firing assembly 20020. As can befurther seen in FIGS. 61 and 62, the distal firing lug 20024 may includea pair of laterally protruding distal fins 20025 (only one can be seenin the Figures) and the proximal firing lug 20026 may include a pair oflaterally protruding proximal fins 20027. Likewise, the travel nut 20040may include a pair of nut fins 20046 that are configured to align withthe distal fins 20025 and the proximal fins 20027 when the travel nut20040 is in the first position. See FIG. 61. When in that alignedposition, the fins 20025, 20027 and 20046 are free to pass within achannel provided in the body of the staple cartridge. Also in theillustrated arrangement, the upper body portion 20022 of the firingassembly 20020 includes a pair of laterally protruding upper fins 20030that are configured to be slidably received in corresponding channels inthe anvil or otherwise slidably engage the anvil as the firing assemblyis distally driven through the end effector. Thus, the fins 20025,20027, 20046 and upper fins 20030 serve to retain the anvil at a desireddistance from the staple cartridge during the firing process. The firingassembly 20020 also includes a tissue cutting surface or tissue cuttingblade 20032 for cutting the tissue that has been clamped between theanvil and the staple cartridge.

The channel of the surgical end effector 20000 is configured to operablyand removably support a surgical staple cartridge therein that includesa sled 20050. The sled 20050 is movable from a starting position locatedin the proximal end of the staple cartridge to an ending position withinthe cartridge. The sled 20050 includes a central sled body 20052 thathas a collection of cam wedges 20054 formed therein. In the illustratedexample, the sled 20050 includes four cam wedges 20054 with two camwedges 20054 being located on each side of the central sled body 20052.Each cam wedge 20054 would correspond to a line of staple supportingdrivers located in the cartridge body. As the sled 20050 is drivendistally through the cartridge body, the cam wedges 20054 wouldsequentially drive the staple drivers in the corresponding line upwardwithin the cartridge body to thereby drive the staples into formingcontact with the underside of the anvil.

In the illustrated example, the sled 20050 includes retention cavity20056 that is formed in the central sled body 20052 that is configuredto retainingly engage the distally extending retainer tab 20044 on thetravel nut 20040 when the travel nut is in the first position and thesled 20050 is in the starting (pre-fired) position. See FIG. 61. Incertain arrangements, one or more biasing members 20060 may be providedin the firing assembly 20020 to bias the travel nut 20040 into the firstposition. For example, a torsion spring may be supported in one or bothof the proximal firing lug 20024 and distal firing lug 20026 to bias thetravel nut 20040 into the first position (direction D₁) when thethreaded end effector drive shaft 20020 is unactuated. However, when thethreaded end effector drive shaft 20020 is rotated in the firingdirection (D₂), the rotating drive shaft 20020 overcomes the bias of thebiasing member(s) 20060 and will move the travel nut 20030 to the secondposition shown in FIG. 62. When the travel nut 20030 is in the secondposition, the retention tab 20044 is out of alignment with the slot inthe cartridge body that slidably accommodates the central sled body20052 and the nut fins 20046 are out of alignment with the channels inthe cartridge body. Thus, further rotation of the rotary end effectordrive rod 20010 will not drive the firing assembly 20020 distally due tothis misalignment of the tab 20044 and the fins 20046 with thecorresponding portions of the cartridge body. However, if the cartridgeis unspent (never been fired), the cartridge will have a sled 20050 inthe starting position. When the cartridge is properly seated in the endeffector channel, the retainer tab 20044 will be received in theretention cavity 20056 in the sled 20050 which will retain the travelnut 20030 in the first position when the rotary end effector drive shaft20010 is rotated in the firing direction. Thus, such arrangement willprevent the clinician from unwittingly advancing the firing assembly20020 (and tissue cutting surface 20044) when an unspent cartridge hasnot been properly seated in the channel. If a spent or even a partiallyspent cartridge is seated in the channel, the sled will not be in thestarting position and the clinician will not be able to fire the firingassembly. If an unspent cartridge is present in the channel, but has notbee properly seated therein so that retention tab is received within theretention cavity in the sled, the clinician will be unable to advancethe firing assembly.

Turning next to FIGS. 63-65, portions of another surgical cutting andstapling end effector 20100 are shown. The end effector 20100 includes achannel 20110 that is configured to removably receive therein a surgicalstaple cartridge 20200. In at least one embodiment, the end effector20100 includes a rotary end effector drive shaft 20120 that isselectively movable or deflectable between a first “locked” position anda second “drive” position. The rotary end effector drive shaft 20120 isconfigured to receive rotary drive motions from a proximal rotary driveshaft (not shown). Rotary control motions may be applied to the proximalrotary drive shaft through a corresponding drive arrangement that maycomprise a motor or motors that are manually actuated or controlled by arobotic control system. In alternative arrangements, the rotary controlmotions may be manually generated. The rotary end effector drive shaft20120 may be rotatably supported on its proximal and distal ends bycorresponding rotary bearing arrangements or cradles that facilitateoperational rotation of the rotary end effector drive shaft 20120, yetenable a portion of the rotary end effector drive shaft to deflectbetween the first and second positions while remaining in rotationaloperational engagement with the proximal rotary a drive shaft or othersource of rotary motion.

As can be seen in FIGS. 63-67, the surgical end effector 20100 comprisesa firing assembly 20130 that is configured for longitudinal travelwithin the channel 20110. In the illustrated embodiment, the firingassembly 20130 comprises a firing body 20132 that is threadablyjournaled on the rotary end effector drive shaft 20120. The firing body20132 includes a pair of laterally protruding fins 20134 that areconfigured to pass within a passage 20112 in the channel 20110. Thepassage 20112 may be defined by two inwardly extending spaced channeltabs 20114 (only one tab can be seen in FIGS. 66 and 67) that have aslot 20116 therebetween to accommodate the rotary end effector driveshaft 20120 as well as passage of the firing body 20132 therebetween.See FIGS. 66 and 67. Also in the illustrated arrangement, an upper bodyportion 20136 of the firing assembly 20130 includes a pair of laterallyprotruding upper fins 20138 that are configured to be slidably receivedin corresponding channels 20152 in an anvil 20150 as the firing assembly20130 is distally driven through the end effector 20100. Thus, the fins20134 and 20138 serve to retain the anvil 20150 at a desired distancefrom the staple cartridge 20200 during the firing process. The firingassembly 20130 also includes a tissue cutting surface or tissue cuttingblade 20139 that is configured to cut the tissue that has been clampedbetween the anvil and the staple cartridge.

FIG. 63 illustrates installation of an unspent staple cartridge 20200into the surgical end effector 20100. As can be seen in FIG. 63, theunspent staple cartridge 20200 includes a sled 20210 that is located ina starting position. The sled 20210 is movable from the startingposition located in the proximal end of the staple cartridge 20200 to anending position within the cartridge 20200. As can be seen in FIG. 67,the sled 20210 includes a central sled body 20212 that has a collectionof cam wedges 20214 formed therein. In the illustrated example, the sled20210 includes four cam wedges 20214 with two cam wedges 20214 beinglocated on each side of the central sled body 20212. Each cam wedge20214 corresponds to a line of staple supporting drivers that aresupported in the cartridge 20200. As the sled 20210 is driven distallythrough the cartridge 20200, the cam wedges 20214 sequentially drive thestaple drivers in the corresponding line upward within the cartridge20200 to thereby drive the staples into forming contact with theunderside of the anvil 2015. Prior to seating the unspent staplecartridge 20200 in the channel 20110, the rotary drive shaft 20120 islocated in the first or up position (represented by arrow “U”). FIG. 66illustrates the position of the rotary drive shaft 20120 and the firingassembly 20130 in a locked position prior to installation of a staplecartridge within the end effector. As can be seen in FIG. 66, the fins20134 are aligned with the channel tabs 20144 of the channel 20110 sothat if the clinician were to actuate the rotary drive shaft 20120 in aneffort to drive the firing assembly distally through the channel 20110,the firing assembly 20130 would be prevented from moving distally due tothe contact between the fins 20134 and the channel tabs 20114. Thedistance that the rotary drive shaft 20120 as well as the firingassembly 20130 may deflect downwardly is represented as distance D_(f)in FIG. 66.

In the illustrated example, a firing assembly engagement notch 20216 isprovided in the sled body 20212 that is configured to engage acorresponding engagement notch 20137 in the upper body portion 20136 ofthe firing assembly 20130. As the firing assembly engagement notch 20216of the sled 20210 initially engages the engagement notch 20137 in theupper body portion 20136 of the firing assembly 20130, the sled 20120biases or deflects the firing assembly 20130 and end effector rotarydrive shaft 20120 downward into the channel 20110 (represented by arrows“D” in FIG. 67). Such movement aligns the fins 20134 of the firingassembly 20130 with the passage 20112 in the channel 20110. The surgicalstaple cartridge 20220 may be configured to be snapped into the channel20100 and retained therein in a properly installed orientation. FIGS. 64and 67 illustrate the rotary drive shaft 20120 in the “drive position”or “second position” wherein the firing assembly 20130 is verticallyaligned with the channel 20110 so as to permit the firing assembly 20130to be distally driven through the staple cartridge 20200 when the rotarydrive shaft 20120 is rotated in a firing direction.

FIG. 65 illustrates installation of a spent or partially spent staplecartridge 20200′ into the surgical end effector 20100. As can be seen inFIG. 65, the sled 20210 has been distally moved from the startingposition within the staple cartridge 20200′. Thus, when the staplecartridge 20200′ is properly installed within the channel 20110, thesled 20210 and, more particularly, the firing assembly engagement notch20126 in the sled 20210 is out of engagement with the engagement notch20137 in the firing assembly 20130. Thus, the firing assembly 20130remains in the first or locked position. Thus, if the clinician were tounwittingly actuate the rotary end effector drive shaft 20120, thefiring assembly 20130 would not be distally advanced into the cartridge20200′.

FIGS. 68-73 illustrate portions of another lockable firing assembly20300 that is prevented from being advanced distally unless an unspentsurgical staple cartridge has been properly seated within the endeffector channel 20400. FIG. 68 illustrates the threaded nut portion20302 of the firing assembly 20300 that is threadably journaled on arotary end effector drive shaft in the manner described herein. Therotary end effector drive shaft has been omitted for clarity in FIGS.68-73. In the illustrated embodiment a locking lug 20304 and an actuatorlug 20306 protrude laterally from the threaded nut portion 20302.Although not shown, the firing assembly 20300 includes an upper firingbody with a tissue cutting edge that may be similar to those disclosedherein. FIGS. 69-73, illustrate the threaded nut portion 20302 inconnection with the channel 20400. It will be understood that thechannel 20400 is configured to operably and removably support a surgicalstaple cartridge therein. Turning first to FIG. 69, the channel 20400includes a centrally disposed, longitudinal slot 20402 that isconfigured to operably support the rotary end effector drive shaft aswell as to permit longitudinal travel of the threaded nut 20302 throughthe channel 20400. In addition, a first longitudinal ledge 20404 and asecond longitudinal ledge 20406 are provided on each side of thelongitudinal slot 20402. The ledges 20404, 20406 serve to define alongitudinal passage 20408 that permits passage of the lugs 20304 and20306 therein when the firing assembly 20300 is distally fired throughthe channel 20400. In addition, the channel 20400 includes alongitudinal cavity 20410 for receiving the cartridge body therein. Itwill be understood that the cartridge body may be configured to besnappingly and removably retained within the cavity 20410.

In the illustrated embodiment, a locking notch 20412 is provided in theledge 20404. The locking notch 20412 is sized to receive at least aportion of the locking lug 20304 therein when the firing assembly 20300is in a first or beginning position prior to firing. A lock spring orbiasing member 20414 is provided on the ledge 20406 and is configured toengage and bias the actuator lug 20306 in the locking direction “L”.Such rotation of the actuator lug 20306 causes the locking lug 20304 toenter into the locking notch 20412. When in that position, the firingassembly 20300 cannot be advanced distally when the rotary end effectordrive shaft is rotated in a firing direction.

FIG. 71 illustrates the position of the threaded nut portion 20302 ofthe firing assembly 20300 when the firing assembly has been moved to asecond or unlocked position. FIG. 72 illustrates what happens when asurgical staple cartridge is initially introduced into the channel20400. In FIGS. 72 and 73, the cartridge body has been omitted forclarity. However, it will be understood that the surgical staplecartridge includes a sled 20500. The sled 20500 is movable from thestarting position located in the proximal end of the staple cartridge toan ending position within the cartridge. As can be seen in FIGS. 72 and73, the sled 20500 includes a central sled body 20502 that has acollection of cam wedges 20504 formed therein. In the illustratedexample, the sled 20500 includes four cam wedges 20504 with two camwedges 20504 being located on each side of the central sled body 20502.Each cam wedge 20504 corresponds to a line of staple supporting driverslocated in the cartridge 20500. As the sled 20500 is driven distallythrough the cartridge, the cam wedges 20504 sequentially drive thestaple drivers in the corresponding line upward within the cartridge tothereby eject the staples into forming contact with the underside of theanvil.

Still referring to FIG. 72, the sled 20500 is configured to contact theactuator lug 20306 when the cartridge is properly installed within thechannel 20400 and the sled is in the starting position. In theillustrated embodiment for example, a downwardly extending actuatormember 20506 is formed on or otherwise attached to the sled 20500. Whenthe cartridge is installed in the channel 20400, the actuator member20506 on the sled 20500 contacts the actuator lug 20306 and biases thefiring assembly in the unlocking direction “UL” (FIG. 72) to theposition shown in FIG. 73. As can be seen in FIG. 73, the locking lug20304 is out of the locking notch 20412 and the firing assembly 20300can now be longitudinally advanced through the channel and the staplecartridge. Thus, such arrangement will prevent the clinician fromunwittingly advancing the firing assembly unless a cartridge with a sledin the starting position has been properly installed in the channel. Asused in this context, the term “properly installed” means that thestaple cartridge has been retainingly seated into the channel in theintended manner so as to permit the sled and other portions thereof tointeract with the firing assembly in the manners described herein.

FIGS. 74-76 illustrate portions of an end effector 20500 that isconfigured to cut and staple tissue. The end effector 20500 comprises anelongate channel 20510 that is configured to operably support a surgicalstaple cartridge 20600 therein. The end effector includes an anvilassembly 20700 that operably supports an anvil concentric drive member20710 for operably driving a firing member 20720 through the endeffector 20500. The anvil concentric drive member 20710 may, forexample, be centrally disposed within the anvil frame 20712 andsubstantially extend the length thereof. The anvil concentric drivemember 20710 in the illustrated embodiment comprises an anvil driveshaft that includes a distal bearing lug 20714 and a proximal bearinglug 20716. The distal bearing lug 20714 is rotatably housed in a distalbearing housing 20718 that is supported in a bearing pocket in the anvilframe 20712. The proximal bearing lug 20716 is rotatably supported inthe anvil assembly 20700 by a floating bearing housing 20720 that ismovably supported in a bearing pocket 20722 that is formed in theproximal anvil portion 20724. See FIG. 75. The proximal and distalbearing housing arrangements may serve to prevent or at least minimizean occurrence of compressive forces on the anvil drive shaft 20710 whichmight otherwise cause the anvil drive shaft 20710 to buckle under highforce conditions. The anvil drive shaft 20710 further includes a drivenfiring gear 20726, a proximal threaded or helix section 20728 and adistal threaded or helix section 20730. In the illustrated arrangement,the proximal threaded section 20728 has a first length and the distalthreaded section 20730 has a distal length that is greater than thefirst length. In the illustrated arrangement, the pitch of the distalthreaded section 20730 is greater than the pitch of the proximalthreaded section 20728. Stated another way, the lead of the distalthreaded section 20730 is greater than the lead of the proximal threadedsection 20728. In one arrangement, the lead of the distal threadedsection 20730 may be approximately twice as large as the lead of theproximal threaded section 20728. In addition, a dead space 20731 may beprovided between the proximal threaded section 20728 and the distalthreaded section 20730. In at least one example, the anvil drive shaft20710 may be fabricated in one piece from extruded gear stock.

To facilitate assembly of the various anvil components, the anvilassembly 20700 includes an anvil cap 20740 that may be attached to theanvil frame 20712 by welding, snap features, etc. In addition, the anvilassembly 20700 includes a pair of anvil plates or staple forming plates20742 that may contain various patterns of staple forming pockets on thebottom surfaces thereof that correspond to the staple arrangements inthe surgical staple cartridge 20600 that is supported in the elongatechannel 20510. The staple forming plates 20742 may be made of a metal orsimilar material and be welded to or otherwise attached to the anvilframe 20712. In other arrangements, a single anvil plate that has a slottherein to accommodate a firing member may also be employed. Such anvilplate or combination of plates may serve to improve the overallstiffness of the anvil assembly. The anvil plate(s) may be flat and havethe staple forming pockets “coined” therein, for example.

As can be seen in FIGS. 74 and 77-79, the surgical end effector 20500includes a firing member 20800 that has a body portion 20802 that has aknife nut portion 20804 formed thereon or otherwise attached thereto.The knife nut portion 20804 is configured to be received on the anvildrive shaft 20710. A distal thread nodule 20806 and a proximal threadnodule 20808 that are configured to engage the proximal threaded section20728 and the distal threaded section 20730 are formed in the knife nutportion 20804. The distal thread nodule 20806 is spaced from theproximal thread nodule 20808 relative to the length of the dead space20731 such that when the knife nut portion 20804 spans across the deadspace 20731, the distal thread nodule 20806 is in threaded engagementwith the distal threaded section 20730 and the proximal thread nodule20808 is in threaded engagement with the proximal threaded section20728. In addition, anvil engaging tabs 20810 protrude laterally fromopposite lateral portions of the knife nut 20804 and are each orientedto engage the corresponding staple forming plates 20742 that areattached to the anvil frame 20712. The firing member 20800 furtherincludes a channel engaging tab 20820 that protrudes from each lateralside of the body portion 20800 The firing member 20800 also includes atissue cutting surface 20822.

Rotation of the anvil drive shaft 20710 in a first rotary direction willresult in the axial movement of the firing member 20800 from a firstposition to a second position. Similarly, rotation of the anvil driveshaft 20710 in a second rotary direction will result in the axialretraction of the firing member 20800 from the second position back tothe first position. The anvil drive shaft 20710 ultimately obtainsrotary motion from a proximal drive shaft (not shown) that operablyinterfaces with a distal power shaft 20830. In the illustratedarrangement, the distal power shaft 20830 has a distal drive gear 20832that is configured for meshing engagement with the driven firing gear20726 on the anvil drive shaft 20710 when the anvil assembly 20710 is inthe closed position. The anvil drive shaft 20710 is said to be “separateand distinct” from the distal power shaft 20830. That is, at least inthe illustrated arrangement for example, the anvil drive shaft 20710 isnot coaxially aligned with the distal power shaft 20830 and does notform a part of the distal power shaft 20830. In addition, the anvildrive shaft 20710 is movable relative to the distal power shaft 20830,for example, when the anvil assembly 20700 is moved between open andclosed positions. The proximal drive shaft may ultimately be rotated bya motor supported in a housing that is attached to a shaft assemblycoupled to the surgical end effector 20500. The housing may comprise ahandheld assembly or a portion of a robotically controlled system.

In the illustrated arrangement, the anvil assembly 20700 is closed bydistally advancing a closure tube 20900. As can be seen in FIG. 74, theclosure tube 20900 includes an internally threaded closure nut 20902that is configured for threaded engagement with a closure thread segment20834 that is formed on the distal power shaft 20830. Initial rotationof the distal power shaft 20830 will drive the closure tube 20900distally to cam the anvil assembly 20700 to the closed position.Rotation of the distal power shaft 20830 in an opposite direction willdrive the closure tube 20900 in the proximal direction to permit theanvil assembly 20700 to move to an open position.

Turning to FIGS. 77-79, the channel includes a pair of inwardlyextending, longitudinal retention tabs 20512 that have a slot space20514 therebetween to accommodate the longitudinal movement of thefiring member 20800. In addition, the channel 20510 includes a proximallocking cavity 20516 that is proximal to the retention tabs 20512. Thelocking cavity 20516 transitions to a distal firing cavity that iscoextensive with the tabs 20512 and the space 20514 therebetween. Thelocking cavity 20516 is larger than the distal firing cavity to permitthe firing member 20800 to pivot to the position shown in FIG. 77. Whenin that position, the firing member body 20802 is out of alignment withthe slot space and the tabs 20820 are out of alignment with the distalfiring cavity 20518. When in that position, one of the tabs 20820 thatprotrude from the firing member 20800 is in alignment with one of theretention tabs 20512 and thus the firing member 20800 is prevented frombeing longitudinally advanced through the channel 20510. The firingmember 20800 will pivot to that “locked” position when the anvil driveshaft 20710 is initially rotated and a surgical staple cartridge with asled in a starting position has not been installed in the channel 20510.However, when a cartridge that has a sled in a starting position hasbeen installed in the channel 20510, the sled will serve to contact orotherwise interface with the firing member 20800 to position and retainthe firing member 20800 in alignment with the space 20514 between theretention tabs 20512. See FIG. 78. Thus, continued rotation of the anvildrive shaft 20710 will drive the firing member 20800 distally throughthe channel 20510 as shown in FIG. 79. Such arrangement will therefore,prevent the clinician from unwittingly actuating the anvil drive shaft20710 to drive the firing member 20800 distally through the channel20510 unless an unspent surgical staple cartridge that has a sled in astarting position has been installed in the channel.

In still other arrangements, the detection of the sled in the correctlocation within an unspent staple cartridge that has been properlyseated in the channel of a surgical cutting and stapling end effectormay be determined electrically. For example, this may be accomplishedwith contacts on the sled that complete a circuit when the sled is in astarting position in a cartridge that has been properly seated in thechannel. Upon firing, the circuit is opened and further firing is notpermitted until the circuit is closed again.

As mentioned above, stapling assemblies for first grasping, clamping,stapling, and/or cutting tissue are well known in the art. Previousstapling assemblies, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361,for example, have comprised a loading unit that is operably connected toa handle assembly. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361, entitledSURGICAL STAPLING APPARATUS, which issued on Feb. 2, 1999, isincorporated by reference in its entirety. While the handle assembliesof these previous stapling assemblies were configured for multiple uses,the loading units were configured for a single use. After each loadingunit was spent, or at least partially spent, the loading unit wasremoved from the handle assembly and then replaced with a new, orunspent, loading unit if desired. The configuration of these previousloading units did not permit a cartridge portion of the loading unit tobe replaced so that a spent loading unit could be used once again.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0286021 discloses analternative stapling assembly comprising a first jaw including an anviland a second jaw including a staple cartridge. The entire disclosure ofU.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0286021, entitledREPLACEABLE STAPLE CARTRIDGE, which published on Nov. 15, 2012, isincorporated by reference herein. Unlike the previous loading units, thesecond jaw of these stapling assemblies can be completely removed fromthe loading unit and then replaced with another second jaw, presumablyafter the previous second jaw has been spent. Notably, the entire secondjaw of these stapling assemblies is replaced—not just a portion of thesecond jaw as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,988,649, entitled SURGICALSTAPLING INSTRUMENT HAVING A SPENT CARTRIDGE LOCKOUT, which issued onJan. 24, 2006, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein.

The stapling assembly disclosed in U.S. Patent Application PublicationNo. 2012/0286021, however, is defective. For instance, the staplingassembly disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2012/0286021 includes a cutting member which can be advanced distallyeventhough a second jaw is not attached to the stapling assembly. As aresult, the cutting member may be unintentionally exposed to the tissueof a patient. Various improvements to these stapling assemblies, amongothers, are discussed further below.

Turning now to FIG. 80, a surgical instrument system 21000 comprises ahandle 21010 and a stapling assembly, or loading unit, 21030 attached toa shaft 21020 of the handle 21010. Referring primarily to FIG. 81, theloading unit 21030 comprises a proximal end, or bayonet connector, 21032configured to releasably attach the loading unit 21030 to the shaft21020. Similar to the stapling assembly disclosed in U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2012/0286021, the loading unit 21030comprises an anvil 21040 and an attachable cartridge jaw 21050. Thecartridge jaw 21050, once attached to the loading unit 21030, ispivotable between an open position (FIG. 80) and a closed, or clamped,position.

The handle 21010 comprises an actuator, or trigger, 21014 which isrotatable toward a pistol grip 21012 of the handle 21010 to drive afiring bar of the loading unit 21030 distally. During a first stroke ofthe trigger 21014, the firing bar engages the cartridge jaw 21050 andmoves the cartridge jaw 21050 into its closed position. During one ormore subsequent strokes of the trigger 21014, the firing bar is advancedthrough the cartridge jaw 21050. The cartridge jaw 21050 comprises aplurality of staples removably stored therein which are ejected from thecartridge jaw 21050 as the firing bar is advanced distally through thecartridge jaw 21050. More particularly, as discussed in greater detailelsewhere herein, the firing bar enters into the cartridge jaw 21050 andpushes a sled stored in the cartridge jaw 21060 distally which, in turn,drives the staples out of the cartridge jaw 21050.

Referring primarily to FIG. 81, the loading unit 21030 further comprisesan articulation joint 21036 about which the anvil 21040 and thecartridge jaw 21050 can be articulated. The loading unit 21030 comprisesan articulation driver configured to articulate the anvil 21040 and thecartridge jaw 21050 about the articulation joint 21036. The articulationdriver is operably coupled with an articulation actuator 21016 which isrotatable to push or pull the articulation driver, depending on thedirection in which the articulation actuator 21016 is rotated.

An alternative surgical instrument system 21100 is illustrated in FIGS.82 and 83. The system 21100 comprises a handle 21110 and an attachableloading unit 21130. Similar to the above, the loading unit 21130comprises an anvil jaw 21040 and a removably attached cartridge jaw21050. The loading unit 21130 further comprises an articulation joint21138 and a flex joint 21136 which are configured to permit the endeffector to articulate relative to a shaft portion 21120 of the loadingunit 21130. The shaft portion 21120 comprises a proximal connector 21122configured to attach the loading unit 21130 to the handle 21110.Referring primarily to FIG. 84, the proximal connector 21122 comprisesrotatable inputs 21128 which are operably engageable with rotatableoutputs 21118 of the handle 21110. Each rotatable input 21128 is part ofa drive system which articulates the loading unit 21130 about the flexjoint 21136 and/or articulation joint 21128, closes the cartridge jaw21050, and/or fires the staples from the cartridge jaw 21050, forexample. The handle 21110 comprises controls 21114 and 21116 which canbe utilized to operate the drive systems of the loading unit 21130. Thedisclosure of U.S. Patent Application Publication 2013/0282052, entitledAPPARATUS FOR ENDOSCOPIC PROCEDURES, which published on Oct. 24, 2013,is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Further to the above, the staple cartridge jaw 21050 is removablyattached to the anvil jaw 21040 of the loading unit 21030. Referringprimarily to FIGS. 85 and 86, the proximal end of the anvil jaw 21040comprises attachment projections 21042 extending from opposite sidesthereof. The proximal end of the staple cartridge jaw 21050 comprisesrecesses 21052 defined therein which are configured to receive theattachment projections 21042. The anvil jaw 21040 is fixedly attached tothe frame of the loading unit 21030 and the attachment projections 21042extend fixedly from the anvil jaw 21040. In at least one instance, theanvil jaw 21040 and/or the attachment projections 21042 are integrallyformed with the frame of the anvil portion 21030.

The staple cartridge jaw 21050 further comprises clips 21056 configuredto engage and grasp the attachment projections 21042. Each clip 21056 ispositioned within a slot 21055 defined in the cartridge jaw 21050. Whenthe cartridge jaw 21050 is attached to the loading unit 21030, the clips21056 flex around the attachment projections 21042. When the cartridgejaw 21050 is fully attached to the loading unit 21030, the clips 21056resiliently snap or return toward their unflexed configuration and holdthe attachment projections 21042 in the recesses 21052.

Further to the above, the cartridge jaw 21050 is properly attached tothe loading unit 21030 when the clips 21056 are engaged with theattachment projections 21042 and the attachment projections 21042 arefully seated in the recesses 21052. That said, the loading unit 21030does not include a sensing system configured to detect whether or notthe cartridge jaw 21050 is properly attached to the loading unit 21030.Turning now to FIGS. 87-91, a loading unit 21130 comprises a systemconfigured to detect whether or not a staple cartridge jaw 21150 isproperly attached to an anvil jaw 21140 of the loading unit 21130, asdescribed in greater detail below.

The loading unit 21130 comprises an electrical circuit that iscompleted, or closed, when the staple cartridge jaw 21150 is properlyattached to the loading unit 21130. The electrical circuit is incommunication with a microprocessor, or controller, of the surgicalinstrument system. The controller is in the handle of the surgicalinstrument system; however, the controller can be in any suitable partof the surgical instrument system, such as the loading unit 21130, forexample. Alternatively, the controller can be in a housing of a surgicalinstrument assembly that is attached to a robotic surgical system and/orin the robotic surgical system itself. In any event, the controller isin communication with an electric motor which drives the staple firingsystem of the surgical instrument system.

When the controller detects that a staple cartridge is not properlyattached to the loading unit 21130, further to the above, the controllercan prevent the electric motor from driving the staple firing systemthrough a staple firing stroke. In at least one such instance, thecontroller can open a switch between a power source, such as a battery,for example, and the electric motor to prevent electrical power frombeing supplied to the electric motor. When the controller detects that astaple cartridge 21150 is properly attached to the loading unit 21130,the controller can permit the electric motor to receive power from thebattery and drive the staple firing system through a staple firingstroke when actuated by the user of the surgical instrument system. Inat least one such instance, the controller can close the switch betweenthe battery and the electric motor, for example.

The electrical circuit of the loading unit 21130 comprises conductors21147 (FIGS. 89 and 91) extending through a shaft portion of the loadingunit 21130 and, in addition, a contact 21146 positioned around each ofthe attachment projections 21142. Each of the conductors 21147 iselectrically coupled to the microprocessor and a contact 21146. Thestaple cartridge 21150 comprises a portion of the electrical circuitwhich completes the electrical circuit when the staple cartridge 21150is fully engaged with the attachment projections 21142. The portion ofthe electrical circuit in the staple cartridge 21150, referring to FIG.90, comprises a contact 21159 positioned in each of the recesses 21052and a conductor, or trace, 21157 extending between and electricallycoupled with the contacts 21159. The clips 21056 are configured to holdthe contacts 21159 of the staple cartridge jaw 21150 against thecontacts 21146 extending around the attachment portions 21142. In atleast one instance, the clips 21056 are comprised of a conductivematerial and are in communication with the trace 21157. In suchinstances, the clips 21056 are part of the electrical circuit in thestaple cartridge 21150. In any event, when the staple cartridge jaw21150 is detached from the loading unit 21130, the electrical circuit isbroken, or opened, and the microprocessor can detect that a staplecartridge jaw 21150 is no longer attached to the loading unit 21130.

Further to the above, the controller can determine that a staplecartridge jaw 21150 is improperly attached to the loading unit 21130 ifonly one of the contacts 21159 is engaged with its respective contact21146. In such instances, the electrical circuit would be in an opencondition and, as a result, the microprocessor would treat an improperlyassembled staple cartridge jaw 21150 as a missing cartridge jaw 21150and prevent the electric motor from being actuated to perform the staplefiring stroke. In various instances, the surgical instrument system caninclude an indicator light and/or feedback system that communicates tothe user of the surgical instrument system that the staple cartridge jawdetection circuit has not been closed. In response thereto, the user caninvestigate the condition and properly seat the staple cartridge jaw21150 to close the detection circuit.

As illustrated in FIG. 90, the conductor 21157 extends laterally acrossthe cartridge jaw 21150. When a firing member is advanced distallythrough the cartridge jaw 21150, the firing member can transect and/orbreak the conductor 21157 and open the jaw detection circuit. At suchpoint, the controller can permit the electric motor to be operated toadvance the firing member distally until the firing member is retractedback to its unfired position. After the firing member has been retractedto its unfired position, the controller can then prevent there-operation of the electric motor until an unspent cartridge jaw 21150is properly attached to the loading unit 21130. As a result, theelectrical circuit of the loading unit 21130 can serve as a missingcartridge lockout, an improperly attached cartridge lockout, and a spentcartridge lockout.

In addition to or in lieu of the above, the sled 21170 can comprise aconductive portion which electrically connects the lateral jaw contacts21159 and/or the electrically conductive clips 21056 when the sled 21170is in its unfired position. In at least one instance, the sled 21170comprises a conductor and/or trace extending from one lateral side ofthe sled 21170 to the other. When the sled 21170 is advanced distally,the conductive portion of the sled 21170 is no longer in electricalcommunication with the contacts 21159 and/or clips 21056 and the jawdetection circuit is opened. To the extent that the jaw assembly alsocomprises the conductor 21157, the conductor 21157 can be cut or brokento open the jaw detection circuit as described above. In variousinstances, the sled 21170 can be displaced from the jaw detectioncircuit at the same time that the conductor 21157 is cut or broken, forexample. In any event, the conductive sled 21170 can provide a spentcartridge lockout.

In various alternative embodiments, the electrical circuit lockout ofthe loading unit is not transected when the firing member is advanceddistally. Turning now to FIG. 93, a staple cartridge jaw 21250 of aloading unit 21230 comprises a cartridge body 21251, a plurality ofstaple cavities 21258 defined in the cartridge body 21251, and alongitudinal slot 21259 defined in the cartridge body 21251 which isconfigured to receive a portion of the firing member Similar to thestaple cartridge jaw 21150, the staple cartridge jaw 21250 comprises aportion of the loading unit electrical circuit. The portion of theelectrical circuit in the staple cartridge jaw 21250 compriseselectrical contacts, such as contacts 21159, for example, defined in therecesses 21052 and compliant electrical contacts 21257 disposed onopposite sides of the longitudinal slot 21251. Each compliant contact21257 is in electrical communication with a contact 21052 via aconductor, or trace, for example, extending through the cartridge body21251.

The compliant contacts 21257 are configured to engage an anvil jaw 21240of the loading unit 21230 when the staple cartridge jaw 21250 isassembled to the loading unit 21250. More specifically, the compliantcontacts 21257 engage a conductive pathway 21247 defined in the anviljaw 21240 which electrically connects the compliant contacts 21257 and,at such point, the electrical circuit has been closed. The compliantcontacts 21257 remain constantly engaged with the conductive pathway21247, i.e., when the cartridge jaw 21250 is in an open position, whenthe cartridge jaw 21250 is in a closed position, and when the cartridgejaw 21250 is moved between its open and closed positions. When thefiring member is advanced distally, the firing member passes through agap defined between the contacts 21257 and, as a result, the electricaljaw detection circuit is not transected. Such an arrangement can providea missing cartridge jaw lockout and/or an improperly attached cartridgejaw lockout.

Further to the above, the compliant contacts 21257 can comprise springsconfigured to bias the staple cartridge jaw 21250 into an open position.When the staple cartridge jaw 21250 is moved into its closed position,the compliant contacts 21257 are compressed between the staple cartridgejaw 21250 and the anvil 21240. The compliant contacts 21257, along withthe other portions of the electrical jaw detection circuit, areelectrically insulated from the metal, or conductive, portions of thestapling assembly so as to maintain the integrity of the jaw detectioncircuit and prevent the jaw detection circuit from shorting out.

In addition to or in lieu of an electrical or electronic lockout such asthe lockout described above, for example, a loading unit can include amechanical lockout that prevents the firing system from performing astaple firing stroke if a staple cartridge jaw is not properly attachedto the loading unit. Turning now to FIG. 92, the staple cartridge jaw21150 comprises a sled 21170 which is pushed distally by the firingmember 21160 (FIG. 89) when the firing member 21160 is advanced distallyduring a staple firing stroke. The staple cartridge jaw 21150 furthercomprises lockout members 21172 which are pivotably engaged with thecartridge body 21151 of the cartridge jaw 21150. As described in U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0286021, the lockout members21172 are biased inwardly into a locked out position after the sled21170 has been at least partially advanced distally during a firingstroke which prevent the cartridge jaw 21150 from being re-fired.

Although the lockout members 21172 can block the distal advancement ofthe firing member 21160, as discussed above, the firing member 21160 maybe able to push through and slide between the lockout members 21172 incertain instances. As an improvement, one or both of the lockout members21172 can comprise a latch or hook extending inwardly toward the firingmember 21160. When the lockout members 21172 are biased inwardly afterthe sled 21170 has been advanced distally, the latches or hooks canengage apertures defined in the firing member 21160 when the firingmember 21160 is retracted back into its unfired position. Once thelatches or hooks are positioned in the firing member apertures, they canprevent the firing member 21160 from being advanced distally through thealready spent cartridge. At such point, the staple cartridge would haveto be replaced to unlock the firing member 21160.

As described above, an attachable staple cartridge jaw can be movedbetween open and closed positions to clamp tissue therebetween. Otherembodiments are envisioned in which the staple cartridge jaw isremovably attachable to a stapling instrument but the anvil jaw ismovable between open and closed positions. Turning now to FIGS. 94-97, astapling assembly 21530 comprises an attachable staple cartridge jaw21550 including a cartridge body 21551 and, in addition, a pivotableanvil jaw 21540. The stapling assembly 21530 further comprises a firingmember, such as firing member 21160, for example, which is movabledistally to engage the anvil jaw 21540 and move the anvil jaw 21540 intoa closed position. More specifically, the firing member 21160 comprisesa first camming member 21162 configured to engage the cartridge jaw21550 and a second camming member 21164 configured to engage the anviljaw 21540 and move the anvil jaw 21540 toward the cartridge jaw 21550.

The stapling assembly 21530 further comprises a mechanical lockout21572. The lockout 21572 is mounted to a frame of the stapling assembly21530 at a frame pivot 21232. The lockout 21572 extends distally and issupported by a frame pin 21533. The lockout 21572 comprises a metalwire; however, the lockout 21572 can be comprised of any suitablematerial. The lockout 21572 further comprises an elongated recess track21576 defined therein which is configured to receive a lockout pin 21166extending from the firing member 21160. Referring primarily to FIG. 94,the elongated recess track 21276 constrains or limits the longitudinaldisplacement of the firing member 21160 when the lockout 21572 is in itslocked position. More specifically, the recess track 21576 is configuredto permit the firing member 21160 to be advanced distally to move theanvil jaw 21540 between its open and closed positions but prevent thefiring member 21160 from being advanced distally to perform a firingstroke unless the lockout 21572 is moved into its unlocked position, asdiscussed below.

When the staple cartridge jaw 21550 is attached to the stapling assembly21530, as illustrated in FIG. 95, the sled 21270 of the cartridge jaw21550 contacts a distal arm 21574 of the lockout 21572 and deflects thelockout 21572 downwardly into its unlocked position. At such point, thelockout 21572 has been displaced below the lockout pin 21166 of thefiring member 21160 and, as a result, the firing member 21160 can beadvanced distally to perform a staple firing stroke, as illustrated inFIG. 96. During the staple firing stroke, the firing member 21160 pushesthe sled 21270 distally off of the lockout arm 21574 and the lockout21572 can return back to its unflexed, or locked, configuration. Whenthe firing member 21160 is retracted, as illustrated in FIG. 97, thelockout pin 21166 can engage the lockout 21572 and flex the lockout21572 downwardly to permit the firing member 21160 to return to itsunfired position. Notably, the sled 21270 is not retracted with thefiring member 21160 and, as a result, cannot re-unlock the lockout 21572even though the firing member 21160 has been retracted. As a result ofthe above, the lockout 21572 can serve as a missing cartridge lockoutand a spent cartridge lockout.

Turning now to FIGS. 98-102, a stapling assembly 21330 comprises anattachable staple cartridge jaw 21350 including a cartridge body 21351and, in addition, an anvil jaw 21340. The stapling assembly 21330further comprises a firing member, such as firing member 21160, forexample, which is movable distally to engage the anvil jaw 21340 and thecartridge jaw 21350. More specifically, the firing member 21160comprises a first camming member 21162 configured to engage thecartridge jaw 21350 and a second camming member 21164 configured toengage the anvil jaw 21340 which close the jaws 21340 and 21350 when thefiring member 21160 is advanced distally.

The stapling assembly 21330 further comprises a mechanical lockout21372. The lockout 21372 is mounted to a frame of the stapling assembly21330 at a frame pivot 21232. The lockout 21372 extends distally and isconstrained by a frame pin 21333. The lockout 21372 comprises a metalwire; however, the lockout 21372 can be comprised of any suitablematerial. The lockout 21372 further comprises an elongate recess track21376 defined therein which is configured to receive the lockout pin21166 extending from the firing member 21160. Referring primarily toFIG. 98, the elongate recess track 21376 constrains or limits thelongitudinal displacement of the firing member 21160 when the lockout21372 is in its locked position. More specifically, the recess track21376 is configured to permit the firing member 21160 to be advanceddistally to close the stapling assembly 21330 but prevent the firingmember 21160 from being advanced distally to perform a firing stroke.

When the staple cartridge jaw 21550 is attached to the stapling assembly21530, as illustrated in FIG. 99, the sled 21370 of the cartridge jaw21350 contacts distal arms 21374 of the lockout 21372 and deflects thelockout 21372 upwardly into an unlocked position. At such point, thelockout 21372 has been displaced above the lockout pin 21166 of thefiring member 21160 and, as a result, the firing member 21160 can beadvanced distally to perform a staple firing stroke, as illustrated inFIG. 100. During the staple firing stroke, the firing member 21160pushes the sled 21370 distally out from under the lockout arms 21374 andthe lockout 21372 can return back to its unflexed, or locked,configuration. When the firing member 21160 is retracted, as illustratedin FIG. 101, the lockout pin 21166 can engage the lockout 21372 and flexthe lockout 21372 upwardly to permit the firing member 21160 to returnto its unfired position. Notably, the sled 21370 does not return withthe firing member 21160. As a result of the above, the lockout 21372 canserve as a missing cartridge lockout and a spent cartridge lockout.

Referring to FIG. 102, the arms 21374 of the lockout 21372 are laterallyspaced apart on opposite sides of the longitudinal slot 21359 such thatthe firing member 21160 can slide between the arms 21374. In suchinstances, the arms are not transected by the firing member 21160.

During a surgical procedure, several loading units can be used with ahandle of a surgical stapling system. In at least one instance, a firstloading unit can be used which is configured to apply a 30 mm stapleline, a second loading unit can be used which is configured to apply a45 mm staple line, and a third loading unit can be used which isconfigured to apply a 60 mm staple line, for example. In the event thateach of these loading units comprises a replaceable cartridge jaw, it ispossible that the wrong staple cartridge jaw can be attached to aloading unit. For instance, a clinician may attempt to attach a 60 mmstaple cartridge jaw to a loading unit configured to apply a 30 mmstaple line. As a result, it is possible that some of the staplesejected from the 60 mm staple cartridge jaw may not be deformed by theanvil and/or that the tissue incision line may be longer than the staplelines. The stapling assemblies and/or loading units disclosed herein caninclude means for preventing the wrong staple cartridge jaw from beingattached thereto, as discussed in greater detail below.

Referring to FIGS. 103 and 105, further to the above, the recesses 21052defined in the cartridge jaw 21250 are configured to closely receive theattachment projections 21142 of the loading unit 21130 such that thereis a snug fit therebetween. The attachment projections 21242′ (FIG. 104)of a second loading unit 21130′, in at least one instance, are smallerthan the attachment projections 21142 and, correspondingly, the recessesof a second cartridge jaw for use with the second loading unit 21130′are smaller than the recesses 21052. In order to provide a form of errorproofing, the recesses of the second cartridge jaw are too small toreceive the attachment projections 21142 of the loading unit 21130 and,as a result, the second cartridge jaw cannot be attached to the loadingunit 21130. Similarly, turning now to FIG. 104, the recesses 21052 ofthe cartridge jaw 21250 are larger than the attachment projections21242′ of the second loading unit 21130′ such that the clips 21056 ofthe cartridge jaw 21250 cannot hold the attachment projections 21242′ inthe recesses 21052 and, as a result, cannot hold the cartridge jaw 21250to the loading unit 21130′. In such instances, the interconnectionbetween the cartridge jaw 21250 and the loading unit 21130′ would be tooloose for the cartridge jaw 21250 to be used with the loading unit21130′.

In the instances described above, the attachment projections of aloading unit, the recesses of a staple cartridge jaw, and the springclips holding the staple cartridge jaw to the loading unit have the sameconfiguration on both sides of the stapling assembly. In otherinstances, the attachment projection, the recess, and/or the spring clipon one side of the stapling assembly is different than the attachmentprojection, the recess, and/or the spring clip on the other side of thestapling assembly. For example, a large attachment projection, recess,and spring clip are disposed on one side of the stapling assembly whilea smaller attachment projection, recess, and spring clip are disposed onthe other side. Such arrangements can increase the permutationsavailable to prevent an incorrect staple cartridge jaw from beingattached to a loading unit.

In the instances described above, the attachment projections of aloading unit, the recesses of a staple cartridge jaw, and the springclips are aligned with respect to a common lateral axis. In otherinstances, the attachment projection, the recess, and/or the spring clipon one side of the stapling assembly are not aligned with the attachmentprojection, the recess, and/or the spring clip on the other side. Statedanother way, one side is offset from the other. Such arrangements canalso increase the permutations available to prevent an incorrect staplecartridge jaw from being attached to a loading unit.

Further to the above, it is contemplated that a kit of loading units canbe provided wherein each loading unit of the kit can be configured suchthat only a cartridge jaw intended to be used with the loading unit canbe properly attached to the loading unit.

Turning now to FIGS. 106 and 107, the staple cartridge jaw 21050comprises a proximal shoulder 21058 which is positioned in closeproximity to the frame of the loading unit 21030 when the cartridge jaw21050 is attached to the loading unit 21030. Owing to the snug fitbetween the projections 21042, the recesses 21052, and the clips 21056,the cartridge jaw 21050 is held in position such that the shoulder 21058of the cartridge jaw 21050 does not interfere with the distalprogression of the firing member 21160, for example. More particularly,the shoulder 21058 does not interfere with the first camming member21162 of the firing member 21160. In the event that an incorrect staplecartridge were attached to the cartridge jaw 21050, in certaininstances, the proximal shoulder of the incorrect cartridge jaw mayinterfere with the distal progression of the first camming member and,as a result, prevent the firing member 21160 from performing a firingstroke with the incorrect staple cartridge. Turning now to FIG. 108, astaple cartridge jaw 21450 is an incorrect staple cartridge jaw for usewith the loading unit 21030. Eventhough the staple cartridge jaw 21450has been attached to the loading unit 21030, the proximal shoulder 21458prevents the firing member 21060 from being advanced distally.

Further to the above, the proximal shoulder of a staple cartridge jawcan comprise a sharp or abrupt corner. In at least one such instance,the proximal shoulder does not comprise a chamfer or lead-in, forexample.

In various instances, a proximal shoulder of a staple cartridge jaw canbe configured to block the distal advancement of a staple firing memberif the tissue clamped between the staple cartridge jaw and an opposinganvil jaw is too thick. In such instances, the staple cartridge jawwould not close completely and the proximal shoulder of the staplecartridge jaw would be positioned in front of the staple firing member.Such an arrangement would comprise a tissue thickness lockout; however,such an arrangement could also serve as a tissue clamping lockout in theevent that the staple cartridge jaw had not yet been moved into itsclamped position.

In addition to or in lieu of the above, an electronic or softwarelockout of a surgical instrument system can be utilized to prevent afiring drive from performing a staple firing stroke in the event that anincorrect staple cartridge jaw is attached to the surgical instrumentsystem. In various instances, as discussed above, a portion of a jawdetection circuit can extend through a staple cartridge jaw and, in atleast one instance, a controller of the surgical instrument system canbe configured to evaluate the portion of the jaw detection circuitextending through the staple cartridge jaw to determine whether thestaple cartridge attached to the surgical instrument system jaw is anappropriate staple cartridge jaw for use with the surgical instrumentsystem. In at least one instance, the clips 21056 of a first staplecartridge jaw have detectably different electrical properties, such asresistance or impedance, for example, than the clips 21056 of a secondstaple cartridge jaw.

Referring again to FIGS. 81, 85, and 87, a cartridge jaw removal tool21090 can be used to detach a cartridge jaw from a loading unit. U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0286021 discusses a cartridgeremoval tool in greater detail.

It is desirable to employ lockout systems with surgical staplinginstruments having replaceable staple cartridge assemblies. For example,in the event that a user forgets to install a staple cartridge into aninstrument without such a lockout system, the firing member of thesurgical instrument could be used to cut the tissue of a patient withoutstapling it. Such circumstances are undesirable. In yet another example,in the event that a user installs a spent, or partially-spent, staplecartridge into an instrument and without a lockout system, the firingmember of the surgical instrument would, similarly, cut but not staple,or just partially staple, the tissue of a patient. Such circumstancesare also undesirable. As a result, surgical instruments which canautomatically lock out the firing member to prevent the firing memberfrom being advanced within an end effector are desirable.

Turning now to FIGS. 109 and 110, a surgical instrument system 25100comprising a missing cartridge and spent cartridge lockout system isdepicted. The system 25100 comprises a firing member 25110, a staplecartridge assembly 25120, and an anvil jaw 25130. The firing member25110 comprises a distally-presented cutting portion 25111 configured tocut tissue when advanced through an end effector portion of the surgicalinstrument system 25100. The firing member 25110 is configured to deploya plurality of staples from the staple cartridge assembly 25120 towardthe anvil jaw 25130 by advancing a sled 25121 longitudinally through thestaple cartridge assembly 25120. The sled 25121 is movable from aproximal unfired position to a distal fully-fired position during astaple firing stroke. After the staple firing stroke has been completed,the firing member 25110 is retracted. The sled 25121 does not retractwith the firing member 25110. However, embodiments are envisioned inwhich the sled 25121 is at least partially retracted.

The surgical instrument system 25100 further comprises a lockout member25140. The lockout member 25140 is configured to prevent the firingmember 25110 from being advanced through the staple firing stroke when acartridge is not present in the surgical instrument system 25100 or aspent, or partially spent, cartridge is present in the surgicalinstrument system 25100. The lockout member 25140 comprises a proximalportion 25141 pivotably mounted to a spine pin 25101 of a frame portionof the system 25100. The lockout member 25140 further comprises a lockface, or shoulder, 25142 configured to catch the firing member 25110,and a deflectable portion 25143. The lockout member 25140 is movable, ordeflectable, between a locked position (FIG. 109) and an unlockedposition (FIG. 110) when a staple cartridge assembly is installed withinthe system 25100. The lockout member 25140 is spring-biased into thelocked position when a staple cartridge assembly is not installed withinthe system 25100, as discussed in greater detail below. The lockoutmember 25140 is also spring-biased into the locked position when aspent, or partially spent, staple cartridge assembly is installed withinthe system 25100, as also discussed in greater detail below.

When the lockout member 25140 is in its locked position as illustratedin FIG. 109, a firing member pin 25113 mounted on the firing member25110 is configured to abut the lock face 25142 of the lockout member25140 which prevents the firing member 25110 from being advanceddistally. To move the lockout member 25140 from the locked position tothe unlocked position, an unspent, ready-to-fire staple cartridgeassembly must be properly installed within in the system 25100. Morespecifically, the sled 25121 of an unspent, ready-to-fire staplecartridge assembly is in its proximal unfired position and, when such astaple cartridge assembly is installed into the system 25100, the sled25121 deflects, or bends, the deflectable portion 25143 downwardly intoits unlocked position. When the lockout member 25140 is in its unlockedposition referring to FIG. 110, the firing member pin 25113 is clear toadvance beyond the lock face 25142 thus permitting the firing member25110 to be advanced distally to deploy staples and cut tissue during afiring stroke.

As can be seen in FIGS. 109 and 110, some longitudinal movement of thefiring member 25110 is permitted when the lockout member 25140 is in itslocked position. This freedom of longitudinal movement when the lockoutmember 25140 is in its locked position allows the firing member 25110 tobe advanced distally to close the jaws of the system 25100 and movedproximally to prevent the jaws to be re-opened Manipulating the jaws ofthe system 25100 may be necessary for loading and/or unloading staplecartridges, for example.

As mentioned above, the sled 25121 does not return with the firingmember 25110 when the firing member 25110 is retracted after the firingstroke. When the firing member 25110 is retracted, the firing member pin25113 deflects, or bends, the deflectable portion 25143 to its unlockedposition permitting the pin 25113 to pass the lock face 25142 and returnto a home position. Once the pin 25113 is retracted past the lock face25142, the lockout member 25140 springs back, or returns, to its lockedposition to prevent a repeat firing with a spent staple cartridgeinstalled within the system 25100. The firing member 25110 can beretracted even further such that the jaws of the system 25100 can thenbe unclamped from the stapled tissue.

Referring now to FIGS. 111-113, another surgical instrument system 25200is depicted. The system 25200 comprises another type of a missingcartridge and spent cartridge lockout arrangement. The system 25200comprises a firing member 25210 and a staple cartridge assembly 25220.The firing member 25210 comprises a distally-presented cutting portion25211 configured to cut tissue when advanced through the system 25200.The firing member is configured to deploy a plurality of staples fromthe staple cartridge assembly 25220 by advancing a sled 25221longitudinally through the staple cartridge assembly 25220. The sled25221 is movable from a proximal unfired position to a distalfully-fired position during a staple firing stroke. The sled 25221 doesnot retract with the firing member 25210; however, embodiments areenvisioned in which the sled 25221 is at least partially retracted.

The surgical instrument system 25200 further comprises a lockout member25240. The lockout member 25240 is configured to prevent the firingmember 25210 from being advanced through its staple firing stroke when acartridge is not present within the system 25200 or a spent, orpartially spent, cartridge is present within the system 25200. Thelockout member 25240 comprises a first, or proximal, portion 25241rotatably mounted to a first spine pin 25201 of the system 25200. Thespine pin 25201 may extend from a shaft frame, or spine, of the system25200, for example. The lockout member 25240 further comprises a secondportion 25242, a third, or catch, portion 25243, and a fourth, ordistal, portion 25245. The lockout member 25240 is movable between alocked position (FIGS. 111 and 113) and an unlocked position (FIG. 112).The lockout member 25240 is spring-biased into the locked position whena staple cartridge assembly is not properly installed within the system25200. The lockout member 25240 is also biased into the locked positionwhen a spent, or partially spent, staple cartridge assembly is installedwithin the system 25200.

When the lockout member 25240 is in its locked position as illustratedin FIG. 111, a firing member pin 25213 mounted on the firing member25210 is configured to abut a lock face, or shoulder, 25244 of thelockout member 25240. As a result of the lock face 25244, distaladvancement of the firing member 25210 is blocked beyond this position.To move the lockout member 25240 from its locked position to itsunlocked position, an unspent, ready-to-fire staple cartridge assemblymust be installed within the system 25200. An unspent, ready-to-firestaple cartridge assembly comprises a sled 25221 in a proximal unfiredposition.

The sled 25221 comprises a magnet 25226 oriented with one of its poles“P1” facing the distal portion 25245 of the lockout member 25240 andanother pole “P2” facing away from the distal portion 25245 of thelockout member 25240. The distal portion 25245 of the lockout member25240 comprises a magnet 25246 disposed thereon. The magnet 25246 isorientated with a pole “P1” facing the like pole “P1” of the sled magnet25226 and another pole “P2” facing away from the sled magnet 25226. Thepole P1 of the magnet 25226 and the pole P1 of the magnet 25246 repeleach other. This relationship creates a levitational effect when thesled 25221 is in its proximal unfired position (FIG. 112) which pushes,or repels, the lockout member 25240 upward into its unlocked position,lifting the lock face 25244 away from the pin 25213 of the firing member25210 to permit the pin 25213 to advance beyond the lock face 25142. Thefiring member 25210 can then be advanced distally to deploy staples andcut tissue during a firing stroke.

When the firing member 25210 is retracted after its firing stroke, thepin 25213 is configured to contact an angled face of the distal portion25245 to push the distal portion 25245 and, thus, the lockout member25240 toward its unlocked position permitting the pin 25213 to pass thelock face 25244 when returning to a home position. Once the pin 25213passes the lock face 25244, the lockout member 25240 springs back, orreturns, to its locked position to prevent to prevent the firing strokefrom being repeated with a spent, or partially spent, staple cartridgeinstalled within the system 25100.

Similar to the system 25100 illustrated in FIGS. 109 and 110, thelockout member 25240 is configured to permit the firing member 25210 tomove within a distance “y” to permit the clamping and unclamping of thejaws when the firing member 25210 is relied on for the clamping andunclamping functions. The pin 25213 and, thus, the firing member 25210can be moved proximally and distally within the catch portion 25243 ofthe lockout member 25240 even though a staple cartridge is missing fromand/or a spent staple cartridge is positioned within the system 25100.

Another surgical instrument system 25300 is depicted in FIGS. 114-119.The system 25300 comprises another type of lockout arrangement where thesystem 25300 is configured to be locked out when a cartridge is notinstalled within the system 25300. The system is further configured tobe locked out when a spent, or partially spent, cartridge is installedwithin the system 25300. The system 25300 comprises a firing member25310 and a staple cartridge assembly 25320. The firing member 25310comprises a distally-presented cutting portion 25311 configured to cuttissue when advanced through the system 25300. The firing member 25310is configured to deploy a plurality of staples from the staple cartridgeassembly 25320 by advancing a sled 25330 (FIG. 115) longitudinallythrough the staple cartridge assembly 25320. The sled 25330 is movablebetween a proximal unfired position to a distal fully-fired positionduring a firing stroke. In various instances, the sled 25230 does notretract with the firing member 25310; however, embodiments areenvisioned in which the sled 25230 is at least partially retracted.

The surgical instrument system 25300 further comprises a lockout member25340. The lockout member 25340 is configured to prevent the firingmember 25310 from being advanced through a staple firing stroke when acartridge is not present within the system 25300 or a spent, orpartially spent, cartridge is present within the system 25300. Thelockout member 25340 is similar to the lockout members 25140, 25240 inmany respects. Referring to FIGS. 117-119, the lockout member 25340comprises a first, or proximal, portion 25341 rotatably mounted to afirst spine pin 25301 of the system 25300. Alternatively, the proximalportion 25341 can be fixedly mounted to the spine 25301 of the system25300. The lockout member 25340 further comprises a second portion25342, a third, or catch, portion 25343, and a fourth, or distal,portion 25345. The lockout member 25340 is movable between a lockedposition (FIGS. 117 and 119) and an unlocked position (FIG. 118). Thelockout member 25340 is spring-biased into its locked position when astaple cartridge assembly is not installed within the system 25300. Thelockout member 25340 is also biased into its locked position when aspent, or partially spent, staple cartridge assembly is installed withinthe system 25300.

The staple cartridge assembly 25320 comprises a sled 25330 and pluralityof drivers 25328 configured to eject a staple upon being driven by theramps 25330A, 25330B, 25330C, and 25330D of the sled 25330 during astaple firing stroke. The staple cartridge assembly 25320 furthercomprises a control member movable between an unspent position and aspent position by the sled 25330 when the sled 25330 is advanceddistally during its staple firing stroke. The control member is in itsunspent position when a staple cartridge 25320 is loaded into thesurgical instrument system 25300 and is configured to move the lockoutmember 25340 from its locked position to its unlocked position when theunspent staple cartridge assembly 25320 is loaded into the surgicalinstrument system 25300. A first configuration of a proximal driver25325 is illustrated in FIGS. 114 and 116. The proximal driver 25325comprises a driver wedge portion 25326 and a magnetic portion 25327.When the proximal driver 25325 is in its unspent position and the sled25330 is in its unfired position (FIG. 118), the driver wedge portion25326 is positioned within a sled notch 25331 and the magnetic portion25327 is in close enough proximity to the distal portion 25327 toattract the distal portion 25327 to move, or lift, the lockout member25340 into its unlocked position.

A similar proximal driver configuration is depicted in FIGS. 118 and119. A proximal driver 25325′ comprises a driver wedge portion 25326′and a magnetic portion 25327′. The wedge portion 25326′ of the proximaldriver 25325′ is positioned on the side of the proximal driver 25325′.When the proximal driver 25325′ is in its unspent position and the sled25330 is in its unfired position (FIG. 118), the driver wedge portion25326′ is positioned within the sled notch 25331 and the magneticportion 25327′ is in close enough proximity to the distal portion 25327′to attract the distal portion 25327′ to move the lockout member 25340into its unlocked position. When the driver wedge portion 25326′ ispositioned within the sled notch 25331, the magnetic portion 25327′ isconfigured to retain the lockout member 25340 in its unlocked position.When the sled 25330 is advanced distally from its unfired position, thesled 25330 drives the proximal driver 25325′ so that the driver wedgeportion 25326′ is driven out of the sled notch 25331. As a result, themagnetic portion 25327′ is no longer in close enough proximity to thelockout member 25340 to hold the lockout member in its unlocked positionand, therefore, the lockout member is spring-biased into its lockedposition (FIG. 119). A datum “D” is defined as a top surface of the sled25330 and, when the bottom of the wedge portion 25326′ is aligned withor above the datum D, the magnetic relationship between the distalportion 25345 and the magnetic portion 25327′ is insufficient to holdthe lockout member 25340 in its unlocked position thus releasing thelockout member 25340.

Once the lockout member 25340 has been released to its locked position(FIG. 119) and the installed cartridge assembly 25320 has been at leastpartially spent (FIG. 119), the system 25300 is prevented from re-firingthe same cartridge assembly 25320. When the firing member 25310 isretracted, the lockout pin 25312 rides underneath the distal portion tomove the lockout member 25340 temporarily out of the way until thelockout pin 25312 reaches the catch portion 25343. When the lockout pin25312 reaches the catch portion 25343, the lockout member 25340 springsback, or returns, to its locked position. When in its spent position,the magnetic portion 25327′ does not pull the lockout member 25340 intoits unlocked position. In various instances, the proximal driver 25325′may engage the staple cartridge assembly 25320 in a press-fit mannerwhen the proximal driver 25325′ is moved into its spent position by thesled 25330 to prevent the proximal driver 25325′ from falling toward itsunspent position. Such an arrangement may prevent the lockout member25340 from being falsely unlocked. In addition to a spent cartridgeassembly, not having a cartridge installed within the system 25300 urgesthe lockout member into its locked position. The mere absence of aproximal driver altogether prevents the lockout member 25340 from movingto its unlocked position.

The control members 25325, 25325′ are driven by the sled 25330 and canbe referred to as drivers; however, they do not drive staples. In thisway, the control members 25325, 25325′ comprise “false” drivers. Thatsaid, it is contemplated that the proximal most staple driver of astaple cartridge assembly could be used as a control member.

Another surgical instrument system is depicted in FIGS. 120-122. Thesystem 25400 comprises a staple cartridge assembly 25410, a lockoutcircuit system 25420, and a lockout member 25430. The lockout member25440 is fixedly attached to a spine portion 25401 of the system 25400.The lockout member 25430 further comprises a spring member, for example,and is biased toward its locked position (FIG. 122). When the lockoutmember 25430 is in its locked position, a hook portion 25431 of thelockout member 25430 is configured to catch a firing member in the eventthat the surgical instrument or clinician tries to advance the firingmember beyond the lockout member 25440 without an unspent staplecartridge assembly installed within the system 25400.

To move the lockout member 25440 to its unlocked position so that afiring member can be advanced through the staple cartridge assembly25410 during a staple firing stroke, an electromagnet 25421 is employed.The electromagnet 25421 is disposed on the spine portion 25401 of thesystem 25400 but may be disposed at any suitable location within thesystem 25400. Conductors are positioned within the system 25400 alongthe spine portion 25401, for example, to power the electromagnet 25421.The lockout circuit system 25420 which encompasses the electromagnet25421 and its power source extends through the staple cartridge assembly25410. As discussed below, when the circuit 25420 is complete, orclosed, the electromagnet 25421 is powered. When the circuit is notcomplete, or open, the electromagnet 25421 is not powered. As alsodiscussed below, the presence of a spent, or partially-spent, cartridgein the system 25400 is a scenario where the circuit 25420 is open. Theabsence of a cartridge in the system 25400 is another scenario where thecircuit 25420 is open.

The lockout circuit system 25420 comprises conductors 25422 extendingfrom the electromagnet 25421 to a pair of electrical contacts 25423positioned within the system 25400. The electrical contacts 25423 arepositioned within a jaw of the system 25400 such as a channel portionwhich receives the staple cartridge assembly 25410, for example. Thestaple cartridge assembly 25410 further comprises conductor legs 25425configured to engage the contacts 25423 when the staple cartridgeassembly 25410 is fully seated in the channel portion of the jaw. Theconductor legs 25425 are part of an electrical trace 25424 definedwithin the staple cartridge assembly 25410. The conductor legs 25425 aredisposed on a proximal face 25412 of the cartridge assembly 25410. Alsodisposed on the proximal face 25412 is a severable portion 25426 of theelectrical trace 25424 which extends across a slot 25411 of the staplecartridge assembly 25410. A cutting edge of a firing member isconfigured to sever, or incise, the severable portion 25426 during astaple firing stroke of the firing member.

When a cartridge assembly is installed and is unspent, further to theabove, the severable portion 25426 is not severed and the lockoutcircuit 25420 is complete, or closed. When the lockout circuit 25420 iscomplete (FIG. 121), the electromagnet 25421 receives power urging thelockout member 25430 to its unlocked position permitting the firingmember to pass thereby. After the severable portion 25426 is severed, orcut, during a firing stroke of the firing member, the surgicalinstrument detects an incomplete circuit. An incomplete, or open,circuit indicates that the staple cartridge assembly 25410 is in a falseconfiguration. This may be due to having a spent, or partially spent,cartridge installed or to not having a cartridge installed within thesystem 25400. When the circuit 25420 is incomplete (FIG. 122), forexample, in a false configuration, the electromagnet 25421 loses powerand releases the lockout member 25430 to its locked position (FIG. 122).

When the spent staple cartridge assembly 25410 is removed from thesurgical instrument system 25400, the lockout circuit 25420 remains inan open state and the electromagnet 25421 remains unpowered. When anunspent staple cartridge assembly 25410 is fully seated in the system25400, the lockout circuit 25420 is once again closed and theelectromagnet 25421 is repowered to unlock the lockout member 25430.Notably, if a staple cartridge assembly 25410 is not fully seated in thesystem 25400, the legs 25425 will not be engaged with the contacts 25423and the lockout circuit 25420 will remain in an open, unpowered state.

Another surgical instrument system 25500 is depicted in FIGS. 123 and124. The system 25500 comprises a staple cartridge 25501 comprising asled 25510 movable between an unfired position and a fired position. Afiring member 25503 is configured to move the sled 25510 from its theunfired position to its fired position to deploy a plurality of staples(not shown) stored within the cartridge 25501 via ramps 25511. Thesystem 25500 further comprises a circuit 25520 configured to indicate tothe surgical instrument and/or the user of the system 25500 whether thecartridge installed within the system 25500 is spent, or partiallyspent, or whether the cartridge installed within the system 25500 isunspent and ready-to-fire. When the sled 25510 is in its unfiredposition, the sled 25510 completes the circuit 25520 and when the sled25510 is in its fired, or partially-fired, position, the sled 25510 doesnot complete the circuit 25520 and the circuit 25520 is open.

The lockout circuit 25520 comprises a pair of conductors 25521 inelectrical communication with a surgical instrument handle, for example,and a pair of electrical contacts 25522 positioned within a jaw portionof the surgical instrument system 25500 configured to support the staplecartridge 25501. The electrical contacts 25522 are positioned such thatcorresponding pads, or contacts, 25523 disposed on a proximal face 25512of the sled 25510 contact the electrical contacts 25522 when the staplecartridge 25501 is fully seated in the system 25500 and the sled 25510is in its unfired position (FIG. 124). A tether portion, or conductor,25524 connects, or electrically couples, the contacts 25523 and isattached to a proximal middle face 25513 of the sled 25510. The contacts25522 extend to a bottom face of the sled in addition to the proximalface 25512. When the sled 25510 is in its unfired position, the contacts25523 are engaged with the lockout circuit 25520 and the lockout circuit25520 is complete indicating an unfired, ready-to-fire staple cartridge.When the lockout circuit 25520 is incomplete, the surgical instrumentcan be locked out using software and/or a mechanical feature such asthose disclosed herein, for example. In at least one instance, thelockout circuit 25520 is in signal communication with a controller ofthe surgical instrument system 255500 which supplies power to anelectric motor of the firing drive when the lockout circuit 25520 is ina closed state and prevents power from being supplied to the electricmotor when the lockout circuit 25520 is open.

A firing member lockout arrangement of a system 25600 is depicted inFIGS. 125-129. The system 25600 comprises a firing member 25610, alockout 25620, and a shaft spine 25601. The shaft spine 25601 houses thelockout 25620 and the firing member 25610. The firing member 25610comprises a distally-presented cutting edge 25611 configured to incisetissue during a staple firing stroke of the firing member 25610. Thelockout 25620 is configured to catch the firing member 25610 when thelockout 25620 is activated and permit the firing member 25610 to passthereby. Further to the above, the lockout 25620 can be activated by acontroller of the system 25600 when an unspent staple cartridge is notpositioned in the system 25600.

The lockout 25620 comprises a solenoid 25621 and a mechanical linkagecomprising a first link 25623 and a second link 25624. The links 25623,25624 are attached at a pivot 25622. The solenoid 25621 is positionedwithin the spine 25601 such that the solenoid 25621 can apply a force tothe linkage near the pivot 25622. The lockout 25620 is illustrated inits biased, locked position in FIGS. 125 and 126. The lockout 25620further comprises a lock body, or cam plate, 25625 pivotably coupledwith an end of the second link 25624. The cam plate 25625 is biased intoa knife band window 25612 to catch the firing member 25610 when thesolenoid 25621 is in its unactuated configuration as illustrated inFIGS. 125 and 126.

In various instances, multiple windows are provided in the firing member25610. Another window, such as the window 25614, may comprise anotherproximal surface. The window 25614 may act as an intermediate lockout tolock the firing member 25610 in the midst of an operation. An event suchas knife binding, for example, may trigger the solenoid 25621 to releasethe lockout 25620 into its locked position to prevent further actuationof the firing member 25610. In various instances, distal surfaces of thewindows in the firing member 25610 may be configured such that when thefiring member 25610 is retracted proximally, the cam plate 25625 mayglide over the distal surfaces to prevent the locking of the firingmember 25610 as the firing member 25610 is moved proximally. In otherinstances, locking the firing member 25610 as it moves proximally may bedesirable.

In some instances, a lockout can be configured to permit movement in onedirection but prevent movement in another direction. For example, slightretraction of the firing member 25610 may be desirable when the distalmovement of the firing member 25610 has been locked out. When retractedproximally in such instances, the tissue in the area that caused thefiring member 25610 to bind up may naturally decompress and, after adefined time period of waiting for the tissue to decompress, thesolenoid 25621 may be activated to move the lockout 25620 into itsunlocked position (FIGS. 127 and 128) thus permitting the firing member25610 to be advanced distally again.

FIGS. 127-129 illustrate the lockout 25620 in its unlocked position.Upon comparing FIGS. 125 and 126 to FIGS. 127-129, it can be seen that,when actuated, the solenoid 25621 moves the mechanical linkage into acollinear configuration to slide, or urge, the cam plate 25625 out ofthe window 25612 to unlock the firing member 25610. Slider supports25603 are provided within the spine 25601 to guide the cam plate 25625as the solenoid 25621 moves the mechanical linkage. The slider supports25603, in at least one instance, control the movement of the cam plate25625 to a linear path, for example.

Various embodiments are disclosed herein which comprise a lockoutconfigured to prevent a firing member from being advanced distally incertain instances. In many instances, the lockout is more than adequateto block the distal advancement of the firing member. In some instances,it may be desirable to have more than one lockout configured to blockthe distal advancement of the firing member. In such instances, aprimary lockout and a secondary lockout can block the distal advancementof the firing member. As described in greater detail below, thesecondary lockout can be actuated as a result of the primary lockoutbeing actuated. For example, the primary lockout can block the distaladvancement of the firing member because a staple cartridge jaw ismissing from the loading unit, the staple cartridge jaw is improperlyattached to the loading unit, and/or the staple cartridge jaw haspreviously been at least partially fired and, when the distaldisplacement of the firing member is impeded by the primary lockout, thesecondary lockout can be actuated to assist the primary lockout inblocking the distal advancement of the firing member.

Turning now to FIGS. 141 and 142, a loading unit comprises a shaft 21730and a firing member system extending through the shaft 21730. The firingmember system comprises a first, or proximal, firing member 21760 and asecond, or distal, firing member 21762. During a staple firing stroke ofthe firing member system, the proximal firing member 21760 is pusheddistally by an electric motor and/or hand crank, for example. Likewise,the distal firing member 21762 is pushed distally by the proximal firingmember 21760. The firing member system further comprises a lockout 21780positioned intermediate the proximal firing member 21760 and the distalfiring member 21762. The lockout 21780 is configured to transmit afiring force from the proximal firing member 21760 to the distal firingmember 21762 during a staple firing stroke. In the event that the forcetransmitted through the lockout 21780 exceeds the firing force expectedduring the staple firing stroke, and/or exceeds a predeterminedthreshold force, the lockout 21780 moves into a locked configuration asillustrated in FIG. 142 and as described in greater detail furtherbelow.

The lockout 21780 comprises lock arms 21782 pivotably mounted to theproximal firing member 21760 at a pivot 21784. The lock arms 21782 areconfigured to abut drive surfaces 21768 defined on the proximal end ofthe firing member 21762 and push the firing member 21762 distally. In atleast one instance, the drive surfaces 21768 form a conical surface, forexample. The lockout 21780 further comprises a biasing member, orspring, 21785 configured to bias the lockout arms 21782 inwardly towardan unlocked configuration, as illustrated in FIG. 141, against the drivesurfaces 21768. Each lock arm 21782 comprises a pin 21783 extendingtherefrom which is configured to mount an end of the spring 21785thereto. When the lockout 21780 moves into a locked configuration,further to the above, the lock arms 21782 slide relative to the drivesurfaces 21768 and splay, or rotate, outwardly into engagement with theshaft 21730. The shaft 21730 comprises a rack, or racks, of teeth 21781defined therein which are engaged by the lock arms 21782 and prevent theproximal firing member 21760 from being advanced distally.

Further to the above, the spring 21785 is resiliently stretched when thelock arms 21782 are displaced outwardly. The stiffness of the spring21785 is selected such that the spring 21785 can hold the lock arms21782 in their unlocked configuration against the drive surfaces 21768when the force transmitted from the proximal firing member 21760 to thedistal firing member 21762 is below the threshold force yet permit thelock arms 21782 to displace outwardly when the force transmitted fromthe proximal firing member 21760 to the distal firing member 21762exceeds the threshold force. The force transmitted between the proximalfiring member 21760 and the distal firing member 21762 is below thethreshold force when the firing system is firing the staples from astaple cartridge and above the threshold force when the distal firingmember 21760 is blocked by a missing cartridge and/or spent cartridgelockout, for example. In such instances, the lockout 21780 is deployedin response to another lockout blocking the advancement of the staplefiring system. Stated another way, the lockout 21780 can comprise asecondary lockout which co-operates with a primary lockout to block theadvancement of the staple firing system.

In various instances, further to the above, the lockout 21780 canprovide overload protection to the staple firing system. For instance,the staple firing system can become jammed during a firing stroke andthe lockout 21780 can deploy to stop the staple firing stroke. In suchinstances, the lockout 21780 can transfer the firing force, or at leasta portion of the firing force, to the shaft 21730 instead of the staplecartridge. As a result, the lockout 21780 can prevent the firing systemand/or staple cartridge from being damaged, or at least further damaged.In such instances, the lockout 21780 is deployed in response to acondition of the stapling assembly other than a predefined lockout.Referring again to FIGS. 141 and 142, the teeth racks 21781 are the samelength as, or longer than, the firing stroke of the staple firing systemsuch that the lockout 21780 can engage the teeth racks 21781 at anypoint during the firing stroke.

When the force being transmitted from the proximal firing member 21760to the distal firing member 21762 drops below the force threshold, thespring 21785 can resiliently return the lock arms 21782 to theirunlocked configuration and into engagement with the drive surfaces 21768of the distal firing member 21762. At such point, the firing stroke canbe completed if the condition that caused the second lockout 21780 toactuate has abated. Otherwise, the proximal firing member 21760 can beretracted.

Turning now to FIGS. 151-154, a loading unit comprises a shaft 24530 anda staple firing system extending through the shaft 24530. The staplefiring system comprises a proximal firing member 24560 and a distalfiring member 24562. During a staple firing stroke of the staple firingsystem, the proximal firing member 24560 is pushed distally by anelectric motor and/or hand crank, for example. Likewise, the distalfiring member 24562 is pushed distally by the proximal firing member24560. The staple firing system further comprises a lockout 24580positioned intermediate the proximal firing member 24560 and the distalfiring member 24562. The lockout 24580 is configured to transmit afiring force from the proximal firing member 24560 to the distal firingmember 24562 during a staple firing stroke. In the event that the forcetransmitted through the lockout 24580 exceeds the firing force expectedduring the staple firing stroke, and/or exceeds a predeterminedthreshold force, the lockout 24580 moves into a locked configuration asillustrated in FIGS. 153 and 154.

Referring primarily to FIGS. 152 and 154, the lockout 24580 comprises asubstantially C-shaped configuration, for example, which extends arounda portion of the distal firing member 24562. The lockout 24580 compriseslock arms 24584 which grip the distal firing member 24562 when thelockout 24580 is in its unactuated, or unlocked, configuration, asillustrated in FIGS. 151 and 152. The lockout 24580 further comprises adrive tab 24582 which is contacted by the proximal firing member 24560when the proximal firing member 24560 is driven distally during a staplefiring stroke of the staple firing system. When the lockout 24580 ispushed distally by the proximal firing member 24560, the lockout 24580abuts a drive surface 24564 defined on the distal firing member 24562and pushes the distal firing member 24562 distally. As a result, thelockout 24580 transmits a pushing force from the proximal firing member24560, through the lock arms 24584, and into the drive surface 24564.

Referring primarily to FIG. 151, the drive tab 24582 is not co-planarwith the lock arms 24584; rather, the drive tab 24582 extends laterallyfrom a plane defined by the lock arms 24584. More particularly, thedrive tab 24582 comprises an elevated portion which is upset from thelock arms 24584, at least when the lockout 24580 is in its unactuatedconfiguration. The lockout 24580 is configured to remain in itsunactuated configuration so as long as the pushing force beingtransmitted through the lockout 24580 is below a threshold force. Thepushing force required to complete the firing stroke is below thisthreshold force. When the pushing force transmitted through the lockout24580 exceeds the threshold force, the lockout 24580 collapses into itsactuated configuration as illustrated in FIGS. 153 and 154. The pushingforce can exceed the threshold force when the distal firing member 24562abuts a missing cartridge and/or spent cartridge lockout in the staplecartridge, for example.

Referring again to FIGS. 153 and 154, the lock arms 24584 splay radiallyoutwardly to engage the shaft 24530 when the lockout 24580 moves intoits actuated configuration. In at least one instance, the shaft 24530can comprise a recess 24534 defined therein which is configured toreceive the lock arms 24584. The recess 24534 is defined in the shaft24530 such that the lock arms 24584 are aligned with the recess 24534when the distal advancement of the firing system is blocked by a missingcartridge and/or spent cartridge lockout. Once the lock arms 24584 arein the recess 24534, the lockout 24580 can also block the distaladvancement of the firing system. In various instances, the recess 24534is positioned and arranged to stop the firing member 24560 before acutting member of the firing drive incises tissue. When the proximalfiring member 24560 is retracted and the pushing load being applied tothe lockout 24580 drops below the threshold force, the lockout 24580 canresiliently return back to its unactuated configuration. At such point,an unspent cartridge can be placed in the loading unit to defeat themissing cartridge and/or spent cartridge lockout such that the firingsystem can be advanced distally through its staple firing stroke. At anypoint, however, the proximal firing member 24560 can be retracted toretract the distal firing member 24562.

The threshold force of the lockouts described above can be actuated ifthe staple firing system is accelerated too quickly. Stated another way,an acceleration spike in a staple firing system can cause a force spikewhich exceeds a threshold force of the lockout which causes the lockoutto stop the staple firing system. Such instances can arise when a firingtrigger mechanically coupled to the staple firing system is squeezed tooquickly and or a power supply is suddenly applied to an electric motorof the staple firing system, for example. In at least one instance, anacceleration spike can occur when the power applied to the electricalmotor is improperly modulated and/or when a software fault has occurredin the motor controller, for example. Such acceleration spikes and forcespikes are typically transient and the firing stroke can be completedonce the force being transmitted through the staple firing system dropsback below the threshold force.

Turning now to FIG. 143, a stapling assembly comprises a shaft 21830 anda firing member 21860 extending therethrough. The stapling assemblyfurther comprises a lockout system 21880. The lockout system 21880comprises lock arms 21882 rotatably mounted to the staple firing member21860 about pivots 21884. Each lock arm 21882 is rotatable between anunactuated position, which is shown in solid lines in FIG. 143, and anactuated position, which is shown in phantom lines in FIG. 143. Thelockout system 21880 further comprises cantilever springs 21885 mountedto the staple firing member 21860 configured to bias the lock arms 21882into their unactuated positions. The stapling assembly further comprisesan actuator 21862 mounted to the firing member 21860 which is configuredto slide, or drag, against the housing of the shaft 21830 when thefiring member 21860 is moved distally. When the firing member 21860 isaccelerated too quickly, or above a threshold level, the drag forcebetween the actuator 21862 and the shaft 21830 will slow or grip theactuator 21862 and allow the firing member 21860 to slide relative tothe actuator 21862. In such instances, the relative movement between theactuator 21862 and the firing member 21860 drives the lock arms 21882outwardly into engagement with racks of teeth 21881 defined in the shaft21830 to stop, impeded, or slow the distal progression of the staplefiring system.

Turning now to FIG. 144, a stapling assembly comprises a shaft 21930 anda firing member 21960 configured to be translated within the shaft21930. The stapling assembly further comprises a lockout system 21980including a lock arm 21982 rotatably mounted to the staple firing member21960 about a pivot 21984. The lock arm 21982 is rotatable between anunactuated position, which is shown in solid lines in FIG. 144, and anactuated position, which is shown in phantom lines in FIG. 144. Thelockout system 21980 further comprises a coil spring 21985 mounted tothe staple firing member 21960 and the lock arm 21982 which isconfigured to bias the lock arm 21982 into its unactuated position. Thelockout system 21980 further comprises an actuator, or weight, 21989mounted to the lock arm 21982 which is configured to inertially rotatethe lock arm 21982 when the firing member 21960 is accelerated distally.When the firing member 21960 is accelerated too quickly, or above athreshold level, the inertial force generated by the weight 21989 issufficient to overcome the biasing force of the spring 21985 and rotatethe lock arm 21982 into engagement with a rack of teeth 21981 defined inthe shaft 21930. In such instances, the lockout system 21890 will stop,impede, or slow the distal progression of the staple firing system untilthe acceleration of the firing member 21960 drops below the thresholdand the spring 21985 can pull the lock arm 21982 out of engagement withthe rack of teeth 21981.

In addition to or in lieu of the above, a stapling assembly can comprisemeans for regulating the speed of a staple firing system which can, invarious instances, reduce or smooth acceleration spikes generated withinthe staple firing system. Turning now to FIG. 155, a stapling assemblycan comprise a shaft 22030 and a staple firing member 22060 configuredto be translated within the shaft 22030. The stapling assembly furthercomprises a dampening system 22080 including a dampening member, orbumper, 22081 configured to slow the distal translation and/or proximaltranslation of the staple firing member 22060. The dampening member22081 is comprised of a compliant and/or elastomeric material, such asrubber, for example, which is configured to generate a dampening forceopposing the pushing force being applied to the firing member 22060 whenthe firing member 22060 contacts the dampening member 22081. The firingmember 22060 extends through an aperture defined in the dampening member22081 and comprises an annular ridge 22082 configured to engage thedampening member 22081. Although only one dampening member 22081 andshaft ridge 22082 are illustrated in FIG. 155, the stapling assembly cancomprise any suitable number of dampening members 22081 and/or shaftridges 22082, for example.

Further to the above, the bumper 22081 is positioned within the shaft22030 such that the ridge 22082 contacts the bumper 22081 just beforethe firing member 22060 reaches a missing cartridge and/or spentcartridge lockout. In such instances, the dampening system 22080 canreduce the speed of the firing member 22060 before the firing member22060 reaches a lockout and, as a result, reduce the possibility thatthe firing member 22060 crashes through, or unintentionally defeats, thelockout.

Turning now to FIG. 156, a stapling assembly can comprise a shaft 22130and a staple firing member 22160 configured to be translated within theshaft 22130. The stapling assembly further comprises a hydraulicdampening system 22180 including a cylinder assembly configured to slowthe firing member 22160 during its staple firing stroke. The cylinderassembly comprises an input piston 22181 slidably positioned in achamber 22183 which is sealingly engaged with the sidewalls of thechamber 22183. The cylinder assembly further comprises an output piston22184 slidably positioned in a chamber 22185 which is sealingly engagedwith the sidewalls of the chamber 22185. As illustrated in FIG. 156, aportion of the chamber 22183 is in fluid communication with a portion ofthe chamber 22185 via a restricted orifice 22189. An incompressible, orsubstantially incompressible, fluid 22182 is contained in the chambers22183 and 22185 between the input piston 22181 and the output piston22184. In at least one instance, the fluid 22182 comprises hydraulicfluid, for example. In certain instances, the fluid 22182 comprises saltwater, for example. When the firing member 22160 is advanced distally,the firing member 22160, or a shoulder defined on the firing member22160, contacts a cam, or angled, surface defined on the input piston22181 and drives the input piston downwardly into the chamber 22183. Insuch instances, the input piston 22181 displaces the fluid 22182 intothe chamber 22185 which, in turn, displaces the output piston 22184within the chamber 22185. The movement of the output piston 22184, thefluid 22182, and the input piston 22181 is resisted by a spring 22186positioned in the chamber 22185. As a result of the above, the dampeningsystem 22180 applies a drag force to the firing member 22160 whichincreases proportionately with an increase in the speed of the firingmember 22160 and can limit the maximum speed of the firing member 22160.Similar to the above, the dampening system 22180 can be positioned inthe shaft 22130 so that the firing member 22160 contacts the dampeningsystem 22180 just before, or at least before, the firing member 22160reaches a lockout.

Turning now to FIG. 158, a stapling assembly can comprise a shaft 22330and a firing member 22360 slidable within the shaft 22330. The staplingassembly further comprises a pneumatic piston arrangement 22380configured to apply a drag force to the firing member 22360. The firingmember 22360 comprises a cylindrical, or at least substantiallycylindrical, rod extending through a support defined in the shaft 22330and an integrally-formed piston 22362 slideably positioned in a cylinder22383 defined in the shaft 22330. The piston arrangement 22380 comprisesone or more piston seals 22382 seated within seal grooves extendingaround the piston 22362. The piston seals 22382 are sealingly engagedwith the piston 22362 and a cylinder wall 22381 of the cylinder 22383.The piston arrangement 22380 further comprises one or more seals 22361,seated in seal grooves defined in the shaft support, which are sealinglyengaged with the shaft 22330 and the firing member 22360. In variousinstances, the seals 22361 and 22383 comprise compliant O-rings, forexample. In any event, the distal displacement of the firing member22360 compresses air in the cylinder 22383 and forces the compressed airthrough a vent 22363 defined in the shaft 22330. This arrangementapplies a drag force to the firing member 22360 which increasesproportionately with the speed of the firing member 22360.

Further to the above, the diameter and/or length of the vent 22363 canbe selected to limit the speed of the firing member 22360 in a desiredmanner. Moreover, the seals 22382 are sealingly engaged with the shaft22330 when the firing member 22360 is advanced distally and retractedproximally and, as a result, the piston arrangement 22380 applies a dragforce to the firing member 22360 when the firing member 22360 isadvanced distally and retracted proximally. In at least one embodiment,a valve, such as a one-way valve, for example, can be positioned andarranged relative to the vent 22363. The valve can provide an orificehaving a smaller diameter when the firing member 22360 is being advanceddistally and an orifice having a larger diameter when the firing member22360 is retracted proximally. In such instances, the vent can apply alarger drag force to the firing member 22360 when the firing member22360 is being advanced distally as compared to when the firing member22360 is being retracted proximally for a given speed. As a result, thevalve can provide different directional speed limits.

Turning now to FIG. 147, a stapling assembly can comprise a staplefiring shaft 22060 which is displaced distally to eject staples from astaple cartridge. The stapling assembly further comprises means forapplying an electromagnetic drag force and/or magnetic drag force to thestaple firing shaft 22260. In at least one instance, the staplingassembly comprises a wound conductor coil 22280 which is energized by apower source, such as a battery, for example, such that a current flowsthrough the coil 22280. The wound conductor coil 22280, once energized,creates a magnetic field which interacts with magnetic elements 22282defined in and/or attached to the shaft 22260. In at least one instance,the magnetic elements 22282 comprise permanent magnets, for example. Thepolarity of the power source is applied to the coil 22280 such that coil22280 generates a magnetic field which applies a repulsive force to theferromagnetic elements 22282 as the firing member 22260 approaches thecoil 22280 and, as a result, applies a drag force to the firing member22360 during the staple firing stroke. The intensity or strength of themagnetic field created by the coil 22280 is stronger near the coil 22280and, as a result, the drag force applied to the firing member 22360 willbe greater near the coil 22280.

In view of the above, the coil 22280, when energized, can act as a brakeand, in certain instances, stop, or at least assist in stopping, thelongitudinal movement of the firing member 22360 at the end of thestaple firing stroke, for example. In certain instances, the voltagepolarity applied to the coil 22280 can be reversed to reverse the flowof current through the coil 22280 during the retraction stroke of thefiring member 22360. In such instances, the coil 22280 can apply abraking force to the firing member 22360 as the firing member 22360 isretracted away from the coil 22280. Although only one coil 22280 isillustrated in FIG. 147, a stapling assembly can comprise any suitablenumber of energizable coils. In addition to or in lieu of the above, astapling assembly can comprise one or more permanent magnets mounted tothe shaft of the stapling assembly which can apply a magnetic brakingforce to the staple firing member.

In at least one embodiment, referring again to FIG. 147, a power sourceis not applied to the coil 22280 and the coil 22280 can act aselectric/inductive brake. In such embodiments, the movement of themagnetic elements 22282 through the coil 22280 generates a current inthe coil 22280 which, in turn, generates a magnetic field which opposesthe movement of the magnetic elements 22282. When the magnetic elements22282 are moved slowly relative to the coil 22280, the opposing magneticfield exerts a negligible braking force on the firing member 22260. Whenthe magnetic elements 22282 are moved quickly relative to the coil22280, the opposing magnetic field is much stronger and applies a muchstronger braking force to the firing member 22260. The coil 22280 andthe magnetic elements 22282 can be positioned and arranged such that thebraking force is applied to the firing member 22260 just before, or atleast before, the firing member 22260 reaches a missing cartridge and/orspent cartridge lockout.

As discussed above, the firing member of a staple firing system can bedriven by an electric motor. A motor controller, that may include aprocessor, and which can be implemented as a microcontroller, can beutilized to control the voltage supplied to the electric motor and, as aresult, control the speed of the staple firing member. In certaininstances, the motor controller can utilize pulse width modulation (PWM)and/or frequency modulation (FM), for example, to control the speed ofthe electric motor. In other instances, the motor controller may notmodulate the power supplied to the electric motor. In either event, astapling assembly can comprise a sensor system in communication with themotor controller which is configured to detect whether or not an unspentstaple cartridge, or an unspent staple cartridge jaw, has been attachedto the stapling assembly. In the event that the sensor system detectsthat an unspent staple cartridge is attached to the stapling assembly,the motor controller can recognize a signal from the sensor systemindicating the presence of an unspent staple cartridge and operate theelectric motor of the staple firing system when the user of the staplingassembly actuates the staple firing system. In the event that the sensorsystem does not detect an unspent staple cartridge attached to thestapling assembly, the motor controller receives a signal from thesensor system indicating that an unspent cartridge is not attached tothe stapling assembly and prevents the electric motor from operating thestaple firing system. Such an arrangement can comprise an electronic orsoftware lockout.

In addition to or in lieu of the above, a stapling system can comprise asensor system configured to track the displacement of a staple firingmember. Referring to FIG. 149, a staple firing member 22460 of astapling assembly 22400 is movable between a proximal, unfired positionand a distal, fired position along a staple firing path 22463. Adetectable magnetic element 22461, for example, is mounted to the staplefiring member 22460 which moves along, or at least substantially along,the staple firing path 22463. In at least one instance, the magneticelement 22461 is a permanent magnet, for example, which is comprised ofiron, nickel, and/or any other suitable material. The sensor systemcomprises a first, or proximal, sensor 22401′ and a second, or distal,sensor 22401 which are configured to detect the magnetic element 22461as it moves along the staple firing path 22463 with the translatablemember 22460. The first sensor 22401′ and the second sensor 22401 eachcomprise a Hall Effect sensor; however, the sensors 22401′ and 22401 cancomprise any suitable sensor. The sensors 22401′ and 22401 output avoltage that varies depending on their respective distances from themagnetic element 22461 (a higher voltage is output when the distance issmall and a lesser voltage is output when the distance is great).

Further to the above, the sensor system comprises a sensor circuitincluding, among other things, a voltage source 22403, for example, incommunication with the sensors 22401′ and 22401 which supplies power tothe sensors 22401′ and 22401. The sensor circuit further comprises afirst switch 22405′ in communication with the first sensor 22401′ and asecond switch 22405 in communication with the second sensor 22401. In atleast one instance, the switches 22401′ and 22401 each comprise atransistor, such as a FET, for example. The outputs of the sensors22401′, 22401 are connected to the central (gate) terminal of theswitches 22405′, 22405, respectively. Prior to the firing stroke of thestaple firing member 22460, the output voltages from the sensors 22401′,22401 are high so that the first switch 22405′ and the second switch22405 are in closed conditions.

When the magnetic element 22461 passes by the first sensor 22401′, thevoltage output of the first sensor 22401′ is sufficient to change thefirst switch between a closed condition and an open condition.Similarly, the voltage output of the second sensor 22401 is sufficientto change the second switch 22405 between a closed condition and an opencondition when the magnetic element 22461 passes by the second sensor22401. When both of the switches 22405′ and 22405 are in an opencondition, a ground potential is applied to an operational amplifiercircuit 22406. The operational amplifier circuit 22406 is in signalcommunication with an input channel of a microcontroller 22490 of themotor controller and, when a ground potential is applied to theoperational amplifier circuit 22406, the microcontroller 22490 receivesa ground signal from the circuit 22406.

When the microcontroller 22490 receives a ground signal from the circuit22406, the microcontroller 22490 can determine that the staple firingstroke has been completed and that the staple cartridge positioned inthe stapling assembly 22400 has been completely spent. Other embodimentsare envisioned in which the sensor system is configured to detect apartial firing stroke of the staple firing member 22460 and supply asignal to the microcontroller 22490 that indicates that the staplecartridge has been at least partially spent. In either event, the motorcontroller can be configured to prevent the firing member 22460 fromperforming another firing stroke until the staple cartridge has beenreplaced with an unspent cartridge. In at least one instance, further tothe above, the sensor system comprises a sensor configured to detectwhether the spent cartridge has been detached from the stapling assemblyand/or whether an unspent cartridge has been assembled to the staplingassembly.

Further to the above, the sensor system can be configured to detectwhether the firing member 22460 has been retracted along a retractionpath 22462. In at least one instance, the magnetic element 22461 can bedetected by the sensor 22401 as the magnetic element 22461 is retractedalong the path 22462 and change the second switch 22405 back into aclosed condition. Similarly, the magnetic element 22461 can be detectedby the sensor 22401′ as the magnetic element 22461 is retracted alongthe path 22463 and change the first switch 22405′ back into a closedcondition. By closing the switches 22405 and 22405′, the voltagepolarity from the battery 22403 is applied to the circuit 22406 and, asa result, the microprocessor 22490 receives a Vcc signal from thecircuit 22406 on its input channel. In various instances, the motorcontroller can be configured to prevent the electric motor from beingoperated to perform another staple firing stroke until the firing member22460 has been fully retracted.

A stapling assembly 25700 comprising a staple cartridge 25730, a firingmember 25760, and a lockout 25780 is illustrated in FIGS. 130-133. Thestaple cartridge 25730 comprises a sled 25770 which is pushed distallyby the firing member 25760 during a staple firing stroke of the firingmember 25760. During the staple firing stroke, the firing member 25760pushes the sled 25770 distally from a proximal, unfired position (FIGS.130 and 131) toward a distal, fired position (FIGS. 132 and 133). Thesled 25770 is configured to slide under staples removably stored instaple cavities defined in the staple cartridge 25730 and eject thestaples from the staple cavities. In various instances, the staplecartridge 25730 comprises staple drivers which, one, support the staplesin the staple cartridge and, two, are driven by the sled 25770 to ejectthe staples from the staple cavities. After the staple firing stroke ofthe firing member 25760 has been completed, the firing member 25760 isretracted proximally. Notably, the sled 25770 is not retractedproximally with the firing member 25760.

Further to the above, the lockout 25780 comprises lock arms 25782. Eachlock arm 25782 comprises a cantilever beam including a first end mountedto a shaft of the stapling assembly 25700 and a movable second endconfigured to engage the firing member 25760. The firing member 25760comprises lock apertures 25762 defined therein which are configured toreceive the second ends of the lock arms 25782. When the sled 25770 isin its proximal, unfired position (FIGS. 130 and 131), however, the sled25770 deflects the lock arms 25782 laterally away from the firing member25760 and holds the lock arms 25782 out of the lock apertures 25762. Asa result, the lockout 25780 does not prevent the firing member 25760from performing a staple firing stroke when a staple cartridge 25730 ispositioned in the stapling assembly 25700 and the sled 25770 of thatstaple cartridge 25730 is in its unfired position. When the firingmember 25760 is advanced distally during its staple firing stroke, thelock apertures 25762 defined in the firing member 25760 are no longeraligned with the lock arms 25782 and, as a result, the lock arms 25782do not interfere with the stapling firing stroke once it has begun.After the staple firing stroke of the firing member 25760, the firingmember 25760 is retracted proximally to its unfired position, asillustrated in FIGS. 132 and 133. At such point, the lock apertures25762 are re-aligned with the lock arms 25782 and, as the sled 25770 wasnot returned to its unfired position, the lock arms 25782 can enter intothe lock apertures 25762 and lockout the firing member 25760.

As a result of the above, the lockout 25780 comprises a missingcartridge lockout and a spent cartridge lockout. Alternative embodimentsare envisioned in which the staple cartridge 25730 is not removable fromthe stapling assembly 25700. In such embodiments, the lockout 25780would comprise a spent cartridge lockout.

Referring to FIGS. 134 and 135, a stapling assembly 25800 comprises astaple cartridge 25830 including a cartridge body 25831, a sled 25870movable distally within the cartridge body 25831, and staple drivers25880. The cartridge body comprises staple cavities 25832 definedtherein and staples removably stored in the staple cavities 25832. Thesled 25870 is translatable distally between a proximal, unfired position(FIG. 134) and a distal, fired position during a staple firing stroke.During the staple firing stroke, the sled 25870 contacts the stapledrivers 25880 and drives the staple drivers 25880 upwardly within thestaple cavities 25832, as illustrated in FIG. 135. Notably, thecartridge body 25831 comprises several longitudinal rows of staplecavities 25832 defined therein and the staple drivers 25880 are arrangedin longitudinal rows which are aligned with the longitudinal rows ofstaple cavities 25832. During the staple firing stroke of the sled25870, the staple drivers 25880 and the staples are driven sequentiallyas the sled 25870 is advanced distally. Stated another way, theproximal-most staples drivers 25880 and staples are fired before thedistal-most drivers 25880 and staples are fired. In various instances,the firing of the proximal-most staple drivers 25880 marks the beginningof the staple firing stroke.

Referring again to FIGS. 134 and 135, the staple cartridge 25830comprises a lockout circuit configured to detect when the staplecartridge 25830 has been at least partially fired. A portion of thelockout circuit extends through the cartridge body 25831 and includeselectrical contacts 25834. Another portion of the lockout circuitextends through the proximal-most staple driver 25880 and includeselectrical contacts 25884 which are aligned with the electrical contacts25834. When the staple cartridge 25830 is in its unfired condition (FIG.134), the driver contacts 25884 abut the cartridge body contacts 25834and, as a result, the lockout circuit is in a closed condition. When theproximal-most staple driver 25880 is lifted upwardly by the sled 25870,the driver contacts 25884 are disengaged from the cartridge bodycontacts 25834 and the lockout circuit is opened. The lockout circuit isin signal communication with a controller of the stapling assembly 25800which is configured to interpret that the opening of the lockout circuitmeans that the staple cartridge 25830 in the stapling assembly 25800 hasbeen at least partially fired and that the staple firing system shouldnot be operated a second, or additional, time without the staplecartridge 25830 being replaced with an unspent staple cartridge 25830.Once an unspent staple cartridge 25830 has been positioned in thestapling assembly 25800 and the lockout circuit is closed by the unspentstaple cartridge 25830, the controller can permit the staple firingsystem to be operated once again.

In various instances, referring again to FIG. 135, the proximal-moststaple driver 25880 is in a slight friction-fit engagement with thesidewalls of a staple cavity 25832. As a result, the proximal-moststaple driver 25880 stays in its fired position after it has been liftedupwardly by the sled 25870 and, as such, the driver contacts 25884 areheld out of contact with the cartridge body contacts 25834 once thelockout circuit is opened and the possibility of the lockout circuitre-closing is reduced.

As described above, the staple firing stroke of the staple cartridge25830 opens the lockout circuit. In alternative embodiments, the staplefiring stroke of a staple cartridge can close a lockout circuit. In suchembodiments, the controller of the stapling assembly can interpret thatthe closing of the lockout circuit means that the staple cartridge hasbeen at least partially fired and that the staple firing system shouldnot be operated a second, or additional, time without the staplecartridge being replaced with an unspent staple cartridge.

In addition to or in lieu of the above, a stapling assembly can includea detection circuit configured to detect when the distal-most stapledriver 25880 and staple have been fired. In at least one such instance,the distal-most staple driver 25880 can have the contact arrangementdescribed above, and/or any other suitable arrangement, which changesthe condition of the detection circuit. The controller of the staplingassembly can interpret that the change in condition of the detectioncircuit means that the staple cartridge has been completely fired andthat the staple firing system should be retracted, for instance.

Turning now to FIGS. 136 and 137, a stapling assembly 25900 comprises ashaft 25910, an anvil jaw 25920, and a staple cartridge jaw which isremovably attachable to a frame of the shaft 25910. The staplingassembly 25900 further comprises an articulation joint 25940 configuredto permit the anvil jaw 25920 and the staple cartridge jaw to articulaterelative to the shaft 25910. Similar to the embodiments describedherein, the staple cartridge jaw is movable between an open position anda closed position to clamp the tissue of a patient against the anvil jaw25920.

The stapling assembly 25900 further comprises a lockout circuit 25980configured to detect when the staple cartridge jaw is in its closedposition. The lockout circuit 25980 comprises conductors 25984 extendingthrough the shaft 25910 and an electrode pad 25982 positioned in theanvil jaw 25920. The conductors 25984 place the electrode pad 25982 incommunication with a controller of the stapling assembly 25900 and, invarious instances, the controller can apply a voltage potential acrossthe conductors 25984 to create a monitoring current within the lockoutcircuit 25980. As described in greater detail below, the controller isconfigured to evaluate the impedance and/or resistivity of the lockoutcircuit 25980 and monitor for changes in the impedance and/orresistivity of the lockout circuit 25980 via the monitoring current.

Further to the above, referring primarily to FIG. 137, the staplecartridge jaw comprises a pin 25932 configured to puncture and/or deformthe electrode pad 25982 when the staple cartridge jaw is moved into itsclosed position. The pin 25932 is comprised of stainless steel, forexample, and disrupts the impedance and/or resistivity of the lockoutcircuit 25980 which is detected by the controller. Such a disruption caninform the controller that, one, a staple cartridge jaw has beenattached to the stapling assembly 25900 and, two, the staple cartridgejaw has been closed. At such point, the controller can electronicallyunlock the staple firing system and permit the staple firing system toperform its staple firing stroke. In at least one such instance, thestaple firing system comprises an electric motor and a battery, whereinthe controller comprises an electronic or software lockout that preventsthe battery from supplying sufficient power to the electric motor toperform the staple firing stroke until the controller detects that asufficient change in a parameter of the lockout circuit 25980 hasoccurred. As a result, the staple firing system of the stapling assembly25900 cannot be operated until the staple cartridge jaw has been closed.

Referring again to FIG. 136, the lockout circuit 25980 extends throughthe shaft 25910 and the anvil jaw 25920, but not the staple cartridgejaw. While the pin 25932 of the staple cartridge jaw disrupts thelockout circuit 25980, as described above, the pin 25932 is electricallyinsulated within the staple cartridge jaw and does not close or open thelockout circuit 25980.

Alternatively, referring again to FIGS. 136 and 137, the pin 25932 ispart of the lockout circuit 25980 and the electrode pad 25982 comprisesa contact which is punctured by the pin 25932. In such embodiments, thepin 25932 closes the lockout circuit when the pin 25932 engages theelectrode pad 25982 such that a sensing current can flow between the pin25932 and the electrode pad 25982. In at least one instance, theelectrode pad 25982 can be comprised of a self-healing material, such asa conductive gel, for example. In various instances, the pin 25932 maypuncture tissue before entering into the electrode pad 25982. Referringagain to FIG. 136 the electrode pad 25982 can comprise a wipe pad 25983configured to at least partially clean the pin 25932 before the pin25932 enters into the electrode pad 25982.

Referring to FIGS. 138 and 139, the shaft 25910 comprises an outerhousing 25911 including a longitudinal slot 25912 defined therein whichis configured to slidably receive a firing member 25960. Thelongitudinal slot 25912 extends through the articulation joint 25940 andinto the anvil jaw 25920 and the staple cartridge jaw. When the anviljaw 25920 and the staple cartridge jaw are in an unarticulatedorientation, the longitudinal slot 25912 is straight, or does notinclude a change in direction. When the anvil jaw 25920 and the staplecartridge jaw are in an articulated orientation, the longitudinal slot25912 comprises a change in direction. As a result, the firing member25960 needs to be sufficiently flexible to pass through the articulationjoint 25940. Such flexibility of the firing member 25960, however, maycause the firing member 25960 to buckle during the staple firing stroke.To prevent or reduce such buckling, the stapling assembly 25900 furthercomprises anti-buckling, or anti-blowout, plates 25944 positioned onopposite sides of the firing member 25960 which are configured tosupport the firing member 25960 within and/or adjacent to thearticulation joint 25940. In at least one instance, the anti-bucklingplates 25944 are positioned in the shaft 25910 proximally with respectto the articulation joint 25940.

Further to the above, the shaft 25910 and the articulation joint 25940include routing channels defined therein configured to receive theconductors 25984 of the lockout circuit 25980. For instance, the shaft25910 comprises channels 25915 defined in the outer housing 25911 of theshaft 25910. In at least one such instance, a first conductor 25984extends through a first channel 25915 and a second conductor 25984extends through a second channel 25915. Moreover, each anti-bucklingplate 25984 comprises a channel 25945 defined therein configured toreceive a conductor 25984. The channels 25945 are aligned, or at leastsubstantially aligned, with the channels 25915.

Referring to FIG. 140, a staple cartridge 26230 comprises a longitudinalslot 26231 and longitudinal rows of staple cavities 26232 definedtherein. During a staple firing stroke, a firing member, such as thefiring member 25960, for example, is configured to slide within thelongitudinal slot 26231 to push a sled, such as sled 25770, for example,distally to eject staples from the staple cavities 26232. Similar to theabove, the firing member 25960 and the sled 25770 sequentially eject thestaples from the staple cavities 26232 and, as a result, sequentiallydeform the staples against an anvil, such as the anvil 25920, forexample. The pushing force transmitted through the firing member 25960to sequentially deform the staples is rarely, if ever, constant. Rather,the pushing force typically includes a series of spikes which arecoincident with the staples being deformed against the anvil. FIG. 141Aillustrates such force spikes. More particularly, FIG. 141A illustratesa typical force profile 26260 of the pushing force (F) experienced bythe firing member 25960 over the length (L) of the staple firing stroke.The force profile 26260 comprises peaks 26261 and valleys 26262 betweenthe peaks 26261.

In various instances, further to the above, the controller of a staplingassembly can be configured to monitor the pushing force being applied tothe firing member 25960. In at least one instance, the staple firingsystem comprises an electric motor configured to drive the firing member25960 and, in such instances, the current drawn by the electric motorduring the staple firing stroke can be monitored as a proxy for thepushing force being applied to the firing member 25960. In fact, a chartcomparing the current drawn by the electric motor over the staple firingstroke may look very similar to the force profile 26260 illustrated inFIG. 140A. In certain embodiments, a force transducer can be utilized tomonitor the pushing force. In any event, the controller can count thepeaks 26261 of the force profile 26260 during the firing stroke and stopthe staple firing stroke after a predetermined count threshold has beenreached. In at least one such instance, a staple cartridge can comprise100 staples removably stored therein and, after the controller hascounted 100 force and/or current spikes, the controller can interruptthe power to the electric motor, for example, as it can be assumed thatthe staple firing stroke has been completed.

In various instances, further to the above, a stapling assembly can beconfigured for use with staple cartridges having different lengthsand/or different quantities of staples stored therein. For example, thestapling assembly can be usable with a first staple cartridge configuredto apply an approximately 45 mm staple line and a second staplecartridge configured to apply an approximately 60 mm staple line. Thefirst staple cartridge comprises a first quantity of staples removablystored therein and the second staple cartridge comprises a secondquantity of staples removably stored therein which is more than thefirst quantity. When the first staple cartridge is being used with thestapling assembly, the controller is configured to stop the staplefiring stroke after the controller identifies a first number of forcespikes and, similarly, the controller is configured to stop the staplefiring stroke after the controller identifies a second number of forcespikes when the second staple cartridge is being used with the staplingassembly. Stated another way, the controller can be configured toevaluate the force profile of the first cartridge, such as force profile26260, for example, and the force profile of the second cartridge, suchas force profile 26260′, for example. Moreover, the controller can beconfigured to monitor the force profiles of any suitable number ofstaple cartridges.

Further to the above, the staple cartridges that can be used with astapling assembly can comprise unique identifiers that can assist thecontroller of the stapling assembly in identifying the type of staplecartridge that is attached to the stapling assembly. In at least oneinstance, the staple cartridges have unique RFID tags which cancommunicate with the controller of the stapling assembly, for example.In certain instances, the staple cartridges have bar codes thereon whichcan be scanned before they are used with the stapling assembly, forexample. Once the controller identifies the type of staple cartridgeattached to the stapling assembly, the controller can determine theappropriate length of the staple firing stroke. In at least oneinstance, information regarding the appropriate firing stroke length fora staple cartridge can be stored in a memory device, for example, incommunication with a microprocessor of the controller.

In addition to or in lieu of the above, a staple cartridge, such as thestaple cartridge 26230, for example, can be configured to createdetectable force spikes in the pushing force and/or current spikes beingdrawn by the electric motor at the end of the staple firing stroke.Referring to FIG. 140, the staple cartridge 26230 comprises one or morebridges 26233 extending across the longitudinal slot 26231 near thedistal end of the longitudinal slot 26231, i.e., near the distal end ofthe staple firing stroke. As the firing member 26260 is advanceddistally, the firing member 26260 contacts the bridges 26233 and breaksand/or incises the bridges 26233 which creates spikes in the pushingforce and/or supply current which are different that the spikes createdwhen the staples are deformed. In at least one instance, the spikescreated by defeating the bridges 26233 are much larger than the spikescreated by deforming the staples and the controller is configured todiscern the difference in such spikes. Once the controller identifiesthat certain spikes have been created by the bridges, the controller canstop the staple firing stroke. As the reader should appreciate, such anarrangement would allow the controller to stop the staple firing systemat the appropriate moment regardless of the length of the staplecartridge attached to the stapling assembly and/or regardless of thenumber of staples stored in the staple cartridge, for example.

While various details have been set forth in the foregoing description,it will be appreciated that the various aspects of the mechanisms forcompensating for drivetrain failure in powered surgical instruments maybe practiced without these specific details. For example, forconciseness and clarity selected aspects have been shown in blockdiagram form rather than in detail. Some portions of the detaileddescriptions provided herein may be presented in terms of instructionsthat operate on data that is stored in a computer memory. Suchdescriptions and representations are used by those skilled in the art todescribe and convey the substance of their work to others skilled in theart. In general, an algorithm refers to a self-consistent sequence ofsteps leading to a desired result, where a “step” refers to amanipulation of physical quantities which may, though need notnecessarily, take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable ofbeing stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwisemanipulated. It is common usage to refer to these signals as bits,values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like.These and similar terms may be associated with the appropriate physicalquantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities.

Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the foregoingdiscussion, it is appreciated that, throughout the foregoingdescription, discussions using terms such as “processing” or “computing”or “calculating” or “determining” or “displaying” or the like, refer tothe action and processes of a computer system, or similar electroniccomputing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented asphysical (electronic) quantities within the computer system's registersand memories into other data similarly represented as physicalquantities within the computer system memories or registers or othersuch information storage, transmission or display devices.

It is worthy to note that any reference to “one aspect” or “an aspect,”means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic describedin connection with the aspect is included in at least one aspect. Thus,appearances of the phrases “in one aspect” or “in an aspect” in variousplaces throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring tothe same aspect. Furthermore, the particular features, structures orcharacteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or moreaspects.

Although various aspects have been described herein, many modifications,variations, substitutions, changes, and equivalents to those aspects maybe implemented and will occur to those skilled in the art. Also, wherematerials are disclosed for certain components, other materials may beused. It is therefore to be understood that the foregoing descriptionand the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications andvariations as falling within the scope of the disclosed aspects. Thefollowing claims are intended to cover all such modification andvariations.

Some or all of the aspects described herein may generally comprisetechnologies for mechanisms for compensating for drivetrain failure inpowered surgical instruments, or otherwise according to technologiesdescribed herein. In a general sense, those skilled in the art willrecognize that the various aspects described herein which can beimplemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range ofhardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof can be viewedas being composed of various types of “electrical circuitry.”Consequently, as used herein “electrical circuitry” includes, but is notlimited to, electrical circuitry having at least one discrete electricalcircuit, electrical circuitry having at least one integrated circuit,electrical circuitry having at least one application specific integratedcircuit, electrical circuitry forming a general purpose computing deviceconfigured by a computer program (e.g., a general purpose computerconfigured by a computer program which at least partially carries outprocesses and/or devices described herein, or a microprocessorconfigured by a computer program which at least partially carries outprocesses and/or devices described herein), electrical circuitry forminga memory device (e.g., forms of random access memory), and/or electricalcircuitry forming a communications device (e.g., a modem, communicationsswitch, or optical-electrical equipment). Those having skill in the artwill recognize that the subject matter described herein may beimplemented in an analog or digital fashion or some combination thereof.

The foregoing detailed description has set forth various aspects of thedevices and/or processes via the use of block diagrams, flowcharts,and/or examples. Insofar as such block diagrams, flowcharts, and/orexamples contain one or more functions and/or operations, it will beunderstood by those within the art that each function and/or operationwithin such block diagrams, flowcharts, or examples can be implemented,individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software,firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. In one aspect, severalportions of the subject matter described herein may be implemented viaApplication Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field ProgrammableGate Arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or otherintegrated formats. Those skilled in the art will recognize, however,that some aspects of the aspects disclosed herein, in whole or in part,can be equivalently implemented in integrated circuits, as one or morecomputer programs running on one or more computers (e.g., as one or moreprograms running on one or more computer systems), as one or moreprograms running on one or more processors (e.g., as one or moreprograms running on one or more microprocessors), as firmware, or asvirtually any combination thereof, and that designing the circuitryand/or writing the code for the software and or firmware would be wellwithin the skill of one of skill in the art in light of this disclosure.In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that themechanisms of the subject matter described herein are capable of beingdistributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that anillustrative aspect of the subject matter described herein appliesregardless of the particular type of signal bearing medium used toactually carry out the distribution. Examples of a signal bearing mediuminclude, but are not limited to, the following: a recordable type mediumsuch as a floppy disk, a hard disk drive, a Compact Disc (CD), a DigitalVideo Disk (DVD), a digital tape, a computer memory, etc.; and atransmission type medium such as a digital and/or an analogcommunication medium (e.g., a fiber optic cable, a waveguide, a wiredcommunications link, a wireless communication link (e.g., transmitter,receiver, transmission logic, reception logic, etc.), etc.).

Many of the surgical instrument systems described herein are motivatedby an electric motor; however, the surgical instrument systems describedherein can be motivated in any suitable manner. In various instances,the surgical instrument systems described herein can be motivated by amanually-operated trigger, for example. In certain instances, the motorsdisclosed herein may comprise a portion or portions of a roboticallycontrolled system. Moreover, any of the end effectors and/or toolassemblies disclosed herein can be utilized with a robotic surgicalinstrument system. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/118,241, entitledSURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENTS WITH ROTATABLE STAPLE DEPLOYMENTARRANGEMENTS, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,072,535, for example, disclosesseveral examples of a robotic surgical instrument system in greaterdetail. The entire disclosure of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/118,241, entitled SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENTS WITH ROTATABLE STAPLEDEPLOYMENT ARRANGEMENTS, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,072,535 is incorporated byreference herein.

The entire disclosures of:

European Patent Application No. EP 795298, entitled LINEAR STAPLER WITHIMPROVED FIRING STROKE, which was filed on Mar. 12, 1997;

U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,272, entitled TRIGGER MECHANISM FOR SURGICALINSTRUMENTS, which issued on Feb. 25, 1997;

U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,543, entitled LINEAR STAPLER WITH IMPROVED FIRINGSTROKE, which issued on Dec. 16, 1997;

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0246881, entitled METHODFOR MAKING A SURGICAL STAPLER, which published on Nov. 10, 2005;

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0208359, entitled METHODFOR STAPLING TISSUE, which published on Sep. 6, 2007;

U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,724, entitled DISPOSABLE LINEAR SURGICAL STAPLINGINSTRUMENT, which issued on Jul. 9, 1985;

U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,198, entitled FAST CLOSURE DEVICE FOR LINEARSURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT, which issued on Aug. 11, 1992;

U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,073, entitled FLEXIBLE SUPPORT SHAFT ASSEMBLY, whichissued on Apr. 11, 1995;

U.S. Pat. No. 8,360,297, entitled SURGICAL CUTTING AND STAPLINGINSTRUMENT WITH SELF ADJUSTING ANVIL, which issued on Jan. 29, 2013;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/813,242, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT COMPRISING SYSTEMS FOR ASSURING THE PROPER SEQUENTIALOPERATION OF THE SURGICAL INSTRUMENT, which was filed on Jul. 30, 2015;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/813,259, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT COMPRISING SEPARATE TISSUE SECURING AND TISSUE CUTTINGSYSTEMS, which was filed on Jul. 30, 2015;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/813,266, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT COMPRISING SYSTEMS FOR PERMITTING THE OPTIONAL TRANSECTION OFTISSUE, which was filed on Jul. 30, 2015;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/813,274, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT COMPRISING A SYSTEM FOR BYPASSING AN OPERATIONAL STEP OF THESURGICAL INSTRUMENT; which was filed on Jul. 30, 2015;

U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,312, entitled ELECTROSURGICAL HEMOSTATIC DEVICE,which issued on Apr. 4, 1995;

U.S. Pat. No. 7,000,818, entitled SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT HAVINGSEPARATE DISTINCT CLOSING AND FIRING SYSTEMS, which issued on Feb. 21,2006;

U.S. Pat. No. 7,422,139, entitled MOTOR-DRIVEN SURGICAL CUTTING ANDFASTENING INSTRUMENT WITH TACTILE POSITION FEEDBACK, which issued onSep. 9, 2008;

U.S. Pat. No. 7,464,849, entitled ELECTRO-MECHANICAL SURGICAL INSTRUMENTWITH CLOSURE SYSTEM AND ANVIL ALIGNMENT COMPONENTS, which issued on Dec.16, 2008;

U.S. Pat. No. 7,670,334, entitled SURGICAL INSTRUMENT HAVING ANARTICULATING END EFFECTOR, which issued on Mar. 2, 2010;

U.S. Pat. No. 7,753,245, entitled SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENTS, whichissued on Jul. 13, 2010; U.S. Pat. No. 8,393,514, entitled SELECTIVELYORIENTABLE IMPLANTABLE FASTENER CARTRIDGE, which issued on Mar. 12,2013;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/343,803, entitled SURGICALINSTRUMENT HAVING RECORDING CAPABILITIES; now U.S. Pat. No. 7,845,537;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/031,573, entitled SURGICAL CUTTINGAND FASTENING INSTRUMENT HAVING RF ELECTRODES, filed Feb. 14, 2008;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/031,873, entitled END EFFECTORS FORA SURGICAL CUTTING AND STAPLING INSTRUMENT, filed Feb. 15, 2008, nowU.S. Pat. No. 7,980,443;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/235,782, entitled MOTOR-DRIVENSURGICAL CUTTING INSTRUMENT, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,210,411;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/249,117, entitled POWERED SURGICALCUTTING AND STAPLING APPARATUS WITH MANUALLY RETRACTABLE FIRING SYSTEM,now U.S. Pat. No. 8,608,045;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/647,100, entitled MOTOR-DRIVENSURGICAL CUTTING INSTRUMENT WITH ELECTRIC ACTUATOR DIRECTIONAL CONTROLASSEMBLY, filed Dec. 24, 2009; now U.S. Pat. No. 8,220,688;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/893,461, entitled STAPLE CARTRIDGE,filed Sep. 29, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,733,613;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/036,647, entitled SURGICAL STAPLINGINSTRUMENT, filed Feb. 28, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,561,870;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/118,241, entitled SURGICAL STAPLINGINSTRUMENTS WITH ROTATABLE STAPLE DEPLOYMENT ARRANGEMENTS, now U.S. Pat.No. 9,072,535;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/524,049, entitled ARTICULATABLESURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A FIRING DRIVE, filed on Jun. 15, 2012;now U.S. Pat. No. 9,101,358;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/800,025, entitled STAPLE CARTRIDGETISSUE THICKNESS SENSOR SYSTEM, filed on Mar. 13, 2013, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2014/0263551;

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/800,067, entitled STAPLE CARTRIDGETISSUE THICKNESS SENSOR SYSTEM, filed on Mar. 13, 2013, now U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2014/0263552;

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0175955, entitled SURGICALCUTTING AND FASTENING INSTRUMENT WITH CLOSURE TRIGGER LOCKING MECHANISM,filed Jan. 31, 2006; and

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0264194, entitled SURGICALSTAPLING INSTRUMENT WITH AN ARTICULATABLE END EFFECTOR, filed Apr. 22,2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,308,040, are hereby incorporated by referenceherein.

The surgical instrument systems described herein have been described inconnection with the deployment and deformation of staples; however, theembodiments described herein are not so limited. Various embodiments areenvisioned which deploy fasteners other than staples, such as clamps ortacks, for example. Moreover, various embodiments are envisioned whichutilize any suitable means for sealing tissue. For instance, an endeffector in accordance with various embodiments can comprise electrodesconfigured to heat and seal the tissue. Also, for instance, an endeffector in accordance with certain embodiments can apply vibrationalenergy to seal the tissue.

All of the above-mentioned U.S. patents, U.S. patent applicationpublications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patentapplications, non-patent publications referred to in this specificationand/or listed in any Application Data Sheet, or any other disclosurematerial are incorporated herein by reference, to the extent notinconsistent herewith. As such, and to the extent necessary, thedisclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflictingmaterial incorporated herein by reference. Any material, or portionthereof, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein, but whichconflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosurematerial set forth herein will only be incorporated to the extent thatno conflict arises between that incorporated material and the existingdisclosure material.

One skilled in the art will recognize that the herein describedcomponents (e.g., operations), devices, objects, and the discussionaccompanying them are used as examples for the sake of conceptualclarity and that various configuration modifications are contemplated.Consequently, as used herein, the specific exemplars set forth and theaccompanying discussion are intended to be representative of their moregeneral classes. In general, use of any specific exemplar is intended tobe representative of its class, and the non-inclusion of specificcomponents (e.g., operations), devices, and objects should not be takenlimiting.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singularterms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from theplural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as isappropriate to the context and/or application. The varioussingular/plural permutations are not expressly set forth herein for sakeof clarity.

The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates differentcomponents contained within, or connected with, different othercomponents. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures aremerely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures may beimplemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense,any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality iseffectively “associated” such that the desired functionality isachieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve aparticular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each othersuch that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective ofarchitectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components soassociated can also be viewed as being “operably connected,” or“operably coupled,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality,and any two components capable of being so associated can also be viewedas being “operably couplable,” to each other to achieve the desiredfunctionality. Specific examples of operably couplable include but arenot limited to physically mateable and/or physically interactingcomponents, and/or wirelessly interactable, and/or wirelesslyinteracting components, and/or logically interacting, and/or logicallyinteractable components.

Some aspects may be described using the expression “coupled” and“connected” along with their derivatives. It should be understood thatthese terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. For example,some aspects may be described using the term “connected” to indicatethat two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contactwith each other. In another example, some aspects may be described usingthe term “coupled” to indicate that two or more elements are in directphysical or electrical contact. The term “coupled,” however, also maymean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with eachother, but yet still co-operate or interact with each other.

In some instances, one or more components may be referred to herein as“configured to,” “configurable to,” “operable/operative to,”“adapted/adaptable,” “able to,” “conformable/conformed to,” etc. Thoseskilled in the art will recognize that “configured to” can generallyencompass active-state components and/or inactive-state componentsand/or standby-state components, unless context requires otherwise.

While particular aspects of the subject matter described herein havebeen shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications maybe made without departing from the subject matter described herein andits broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompasswithin their scope all such changes and modifications as are within thetrue spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. It will beunderstood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein,and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appendedclaims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term“including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” theterm “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term“includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,”etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if aspecific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such anintent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence ofsuch recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid tounderstanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of theintroductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claimrecitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed toimply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinitearticles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing suchintroduced claim recitation to claims containing only one suchrecitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases“one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or“an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “atleast one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use ofdefinite articles used to introduce claim recitations.

In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitationis explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that suchrecitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recitednumber (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without othermodifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or morerecitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a conventionanalogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in generalsuch a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the artwould understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one ofA, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have Aalone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and Ctogether, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where aconvention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, ingeneral such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill inthe art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at leastone of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that haveA alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and Ctogether, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be furtherunderstood by those within the art that typically a disjunctive wordand/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in thedescription, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplatethe possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, orboth terms unless context dictates otherwise. For example, the phrase “Aor B” will be typically understood to include the possibilities of “A”or “B” or “A and B.”

With respect to the appended claims, those skilled in the art willappreciate that recited operations therein may generally be performed inany order. Also, although various operational flows are presented in asequence(s), it should be understood that the various operations may beperformed in other orders than those which are illustrated, or may beperformed concurrently. Examples of such alternate orderings may includeoverlapping, interleaved, interrupted, reordered, incremental,preparatory, supplemental, simultaneous, reverse, or other variantorderings, unless context dictates otherwise. Furthermore, terms like“responsive to,” “related to,” or other past-tense adjectives aregenerally not intended to exclude such variants, unless context dictatesotherwise.

In certain cases, use of a system or method may occur in a territoryeven if components are located outside the territory. For example, in adistributed computing context, use of a distributed computing system mayoccur in a territory even though parts of the system may be locatedoutside of the territory (e.g., relay, server, processor, signal-bearingmedium, transmitting computer, receiving computer, etc. located outsidethe territory).

A sale of a system or method may likewise occur in a territory even ifcomponents of the system or method are located and/or used outside theterritory. Further, implementation of at least part of a system forperforming a method in one territory does not preclude use of the systemin another territory.

Although various aspects have been described herein, many modifications,variations, substitutions, changes, and equivalents to those aspects maybe implemented and will occur to those skilled in the art. Also, wherematerials are disclosed for certain components, other materials may beused. It is therefore to be understood that the foregoing descriptionand the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications andvariations as falling within the scope of the disclosed aspects. Thefollowing claims are intended to cover all such modification andvariations.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of compensating for a battery packfailure in a powered surgical instrument, the method comprising:generating, by an electric motor, a rotational motion to motivate afiring assembly to deploy staples into a captured tissue during a firingsequence; determining, by a control circuit, whether a subset ofrechargeable battery cells is damaged during the firing sequence basedon a measurement performed by a battery-cell health indicator; andstepping-up, by the control circuit coupled to a voltage converter, anoutput voltage of the battery pack to complete the firing sequence inresponse to a determination that a subset of the rechargeable batterycells is damaged.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing,by the control circuit coupled to a memory, a damaged status of thepower pack in the memory in response to a determination that a subset ofthe rechargeable battery cells is damaged.
 3. The method of claim 2,further comprising clearing, by the control circuit, the damaged statusafter the damaged subset of the rechargeable battery cells is replacedwith undamaged battery cells.
 4. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising deactivating, by the control circuit, the surgical instrumentafter completion of the firing sequence in response to a determinationthat a subset of the rechargeable battery cells is damaged.
 5. A methodof compensating for drivetrain failure in a powered surgical instrument,the method comprising: generating, by an electric motor, a mechanicaloutput to motivate a drivetrain to transmit a motion to a jaw assemblyof the surgical instrument; activating, by a control circuit, a safemode in response to an acute failure of the drivetrain; and activating,by the control circuit, a bailout mode in response to a catastrophicfailure of the drivetrain.
 6. The method of claim 5, further comprisingmodulating, by the control circuit, the mechanical output of theelectric motor in response to the acute failure.
 7. The method of claim6, wherein modulating the mechanical output of the electric motorcomprises slowing the mechanical output.
 8. The method of claim 5,further comprising generating, by a power source, a motor input voltage.9. The method of claim 8, further comprising modulating, by the controlcircuit, the motor input voltage in response to the acute failure. 10.The method of claim 9, wherein modulating the motor input voltagecomprises delivering the motor input voltage in pulses.
 11. The methodof claim 9, wherein modulating the motor input voltage comprisesreducing the motor input voltage.
 12. The method of claim 5, furthercomprising disabling, by the control circuit, the electric motor inresponse to the catastrophic failure.
 13. The method of claim 8, furthercomprising, employing, by the control circuit, a feedback element toprovide bailout instructions in response to the catastrophic failure.14. A method of compensating for drivetrain failure in a poweredsurgical instrument, the method comprising: driving, by an electricmotor, a drivetrain comprising gear components to perform operations ofthe surgical instrument; sensing, by a vibration sensor positionedrelative to the drivetrain, vibration information from the drivetrain;recording, by a processor coupled to a memory, the vibration informationsensed by the vibration sensor; generating, by the vibration sensor, anoutput signal based on the vibration information; and determining astatus of the surgical instrument based on the output signal.
 15. Themethod of claim 14, further comprising: filtering, by a filter, theoutput signal of the vibration sensor; and generating, by the filter, afiltered signal based on the received output signal.
 16. The method ofapparatus of claim 14, further comprising generating, by the processor,a processed signal based on the filtered signal.
 17. The method claim16, further comprising comparing, by the processor, a predeterminedthreshold value to a corresponding value of the processed signal. 18.The method of claim 17, further comprising detecting, by the processor,a malfunction of the surgical instrument when the predeterminedthreshold value is equal to or less than the corresponding value of theprocessed signal.
 19. The method of claim 16, further comprisinggenerating the predetermined threshold value from a test output signalof the vibration sensor or a previously processed signal.
 20. The methodof claim 19, further comprising: sensing, by the vibration sensor, testvibration information during a testing procedure of the surgicalinstrument; and recording, by the memory, a test output signal based onthe test vibration information sensed by the vibration sensor.